The Progress in the Mistake
by lovesmesomebooth
Summary: He made a grand gesture, and it made her happy. There was someone's feelings he forgot to take in. Spoilers for Season 6
1. Aggitation

He stands in front of the full length mirror. Slightly cocking his head to the left, he takes his black bow tie in his hands and adjusts it until it's perfect. He opens the jacket to his tuxedo and smooths out his shirt, making sure no wrinkles are visible. He buttons the jacket back up and smooths out the creases in it. He runs his hands down the sides of his pants, making sure they're straight, and to wipe the little bit of sweat that has collected on his palms. He stands a little taller and holds his head a little higher.

"I look older," he muses to himself. He doesn't even know how he got here. It's seems like it's all been a whirlwind of events leading up to this day. He can't place where the change happened, or even why it happened. The lack of details didn't make his head feel any better. He just wondered if he should say something. What do you do when you know for a fact that your best friend is making the biggest mistake of their lives?

* * *

"Booth, is that tapping really necessary?" Bones was snapped from her reverie of staring at the passing trees as they drove toward the Hoover building.

"You know I hate going to Sweets' office, all he does is push my buttons," Booth took the curve a little sharper than he meant to. Just bringing up the twelve-year-old's name made him more on edge than usual. He really did start to like the kid, until he came back from Afghanistan. With a girlfriend. Now all bets were off.

"Maybe I should drive, Booth." She knew that was the wrong thing to say. His hands tighten around the steering wheel. She looked out the window, hoping that showed her surender.

He glanced over to her while swerving through traffic, a retort just short of his vocal chords. He noticed her looking out the window and decided to let it be. He wasn't mad at her. He knew she was just trying to help. He needed to conserve his negative energy for Sweets.

The rest of the drive was in silence. Booth even stopped drumming his fingers on the steering wheel. He knew he had to compose himself before he got to the office. He took the little time he had left on the drive to do so. He unclenched his fingers from the steering wheel, leaving a loose grip. He took a few deep breaths and managed to get some of the red away from his cheeks. He snuck a peek at his partner. He could tell by the look on her face she was in deep thought. He wished he could know what that thought was. He knew he didn't deserve to know. He can't remember the last time he preempted a thought of hers. They were still in sync but so out of sync he was unsure of how they still managed. He missed her. He knew that much, but he knew it wasn't fair to Hannah. He spent all of his time during work with Bones, Hannah had to come in somewhere. Usually that meant separate celebrating after completing a case. And that usually meant Booth going home to Hannah and Bones sitting at her desk doing the paperwork they were supposed to complete together or working on her book. That's not the way it was supposed to go, but that's the way it had to be. He took the last turn and pulled into the parking lot of the Hoover. He drove into his parking spot and parked the SUV. Before he could even open his door, Bones was waiting at the front of the truck.

"It's going to be a long day," Booth muttered. He started walking and fell into step with his partner. Before he even realized he did it, he place his right hand on the small of her back and guided her toward their destination. He took note, but left it where it was. It felt safe and normal, none of which felt wrong.


	2. Control

He needed to find a way of getting into Sweets' office before her, without raising suspicion as to why. He tried to run scenarios through his head picking out the ones that she would deem rational and not question. They walked up to the elevator and he tapped a button. The doors opened immediately. They walked through and Booth removed his hand from Bones' back, noticing that it felt naked without her. He pushed a button and the doors closed. Bones looked at the lit up button, then looked at Booth. He tried not to notice.

"Why are we going to your office? I thought we had to meet Sweets in his?" She didn't notice that he let out a sigh, something he was grateful for.

"I just needed to run by my office for something, you can go on up if you'd like, and I'll meet you there." Please take the bait; please take the bait…..

"No, it's okay. I'll wait for you. I'm not too partial to being alone with Sweets. I find that he pushes my buttons, too." Oh why did she have to listen to him? Today of all days. The elevator stopped and the doors opened. Now all he had to do was figure out what exactly he had to go to his office for. They stepped off of the elevator and he found his hand, much like a magnet, drawn to the small of her back. He also noticed that she didn't say anything or comment as to where it was. They walked in step to his office and he led her through his door. He moved around his desk while she stood at the front of it. She found a case file and picked it up, skimming over what he had written as his report. They didn't work on their reports together anymore, so she figured this would be the only way she could check his work. Thankful for her being distracted, he fumbled with his keyboard, quickly thinking of what exactly he could be searching for. He glanced up at her and saw her head tilted to the side, a slight smirk on her face. The look tugged at his heartstrings. She was so damn cute and she didn't even know it. He didn't want to break his gaze but the incessant ringing in his pocket pulled him out of it. He reached down and opened his phone.

"Booth." He knew it was Sweets.

"Agent Booth. I was wondering if you and Dr. Brennan had forgotten about our session today." He knew they hadn't forgotten. Even if Booth had, he knew Dr. Brennan wouldn't.

"I'm in my office, we'll be right up." He could feel the heat rising to the surface again. He was cornered and he knew it. No way to talk to Sweets before they walked through the door. He'd have to face what was coming.

"Come on Bones. We need to get to Sweets before nap time." Again, his hand guided her out the door and they were off to see their psychologist.

"Booth, I think Sweets is too old to take naps. Although they can be healthy, I really don't think it would be professional…" As she rambled she looked in his direction. He had a look on his face, but she wasn't sure what it meant. It took her a second, but she realized it was his 'I was joking' face. She allowed herself a smile. She really was getting the hang of reading people.

Booth tried to breathe slowly to control himself. He had to put faith in Sweets. They reached the elevator and stepped through, taking the short ride up to Sweets' office. Booth fumbled with his phone in his left hand while he guided Bones to their destination with his right. They got to Sweets' door and walked in. She knew Booth was asserting domination by just walking in without knocking.

As Booth entered the room he slowly lifted his hand from Brennan's back allowing her to cross in front of him to her normal spot on the left side of the loveseat. With her back to him, he took that moment to lock eyes with the young doctor. With every ounce of his being he conveyed the message that he was to keep his mouth shut if he knew what was good for him. He slid around the loveseat and took his rightful place next to Bones. He hadn't sat down for more than two seconds and his leg started tapping.

"Agent Booth, Dr. Brennan, it's good to see you both." He hoped by keeping it light he wouldn't anger the agent more than he already was.

Neither of them looked at him. Booth was staring out the window and Brennan was staring at Booth. His leg was still tapping and he looked like he could explode any second. He was trying to figure out how to approach them both when he heard the sound of a cell phone vibrating in Booth's pocket. Without hesitation, he pulled the phone from his pocket and stopped tapping his leg when he looked at the caller ID. He stood and moved over to the door, leaving Brennan and Sweets to stare at each other. They could hear him mumble a few words, but couldn't make them out.

Brennan watched him as he talked as low as possible so they couldn't hear him, but the person on the other end of the phone could. She tried to watch his expressions to gauge who he could be talking to, though she was pretty sure it was Hannah. That thought made her turn around in her seat. She shouldn't spy on him when he was talking to her. She couldn't help the feeling of her stomach dropping and she started to get up until she realized Booth was blocking the door. Sighing to herself, she turned to Sweets.

"He seems more agitated than usual about coming here." Her bluntness never seemed to surprise him.

"Well, Dr. Brennan, I'm sure Agent Booth has a lot of things on his mind and…" he couldn't even finish his sentence when he saw Booth snap his head around so fast the thought it would snap off. He started to realize what the death stare was about when he first walked in.

Booth snapped his phone closed and proceeded to the left side of the loveseat. He glared at Sweets and then looked at Bones, softening his expression.

"Come on Bones, we need to go. I have to pick up Parker. Rebecca is playing games again and she said if I wanted him this weekend, I needed to get him now." He watched her stand and he guided her towards the door without another glance to Sweets. They were at the threshold of the door when he heard the young doctor speak up.

"Agent Booth, a second?" He stopped dead in his tracks. Composing himself, he turned to Bones.

"I'll be right out, meet me at my office?" He tried out his charm smile, noticing he was out of practice, but it seemed to work.

"Sure." She tried to show a smile and turned from the door. She slowly walked from Sweets' office as Booth turned and went back in to see him. She stopped and waited. She knew he wouldn't be long.

"Sweets, you're on thin ice. Now, I have to go get my son and I don't want to be in a bad mood when I do that." With that he turned on his heel and walked out. He knew Bones would be waiting so it was a reflex that he held his right arm out and touched the small of her back and guided her toward the elevator before he actually laid eyes on her.

"Let's go get Parker! You know, Bones, he misses you." Sweets could hear their laughter as he watched them walk toward the elevator. He shook his head, looked down, and returned to his office. He knew what was going to happen in just a few hours, so he began to prepare.


	3. Overwhelming

Five days prior:

* * *

_When he got the phone call, he was interested. He tried to feign annoyance, but the recipient didn't even notice. The conversation didn't last more than three minutes. He finished the phone call and stared at the ceiling. It was going to take more than the hour he was allotted to mentally ready himself for this. He stood from his couch and made some coffee. He'd end up making more at the office, and he knew that, but he needed to get a head start on what was about to happen. As the coffee brewed, he made his way through his apartment to get ready. He threw on some clothes and got his travel coffee mug ready. He put in two more sugars than normal. He would need the extra energy. Once the coffee was ready he poured it in his cup. He turned off the coffee machine, grabbed his keys off the table by the door and headed for his office. _

_The drive to the Hoover building was quiet. There weren't many vehicles on the road. Considering it was eleven o'clock at night on a Saturday, it was surprising, but he was grateful. He needed to think about his approach to this entire subject, though he didn't have much to go on. The phone call didn't allow for detail. Just a demand for where and when to meet. He started to pull his vehicle into the all too familiar parking lot. There were various other cars still there, but no lights on in the familiar parts of the building. He noticed one vehicle parked had exhaust coming from the tail pipe. He knew immediately it was who he was supposed to meet, so he just parked next to them. They both removed themselves from their respective vehicles at the same time and wordlessly walked into the building. The silence continued until they exited the elevator and entered the office of their destination. One sat, the other paced. Neither seemed to be ready for what was to come, but a starting point had to happen. The younger of the two spoke first._

"_You didn't mention why it is you wanted to see me, just that it needed to be now." Simple. He didn't want to push too far at the beginning. He knew it was going to be hard, so he figured the softer his tone, and the more patient he was, the easier this would go._

"_I'm not even sure myself why I'm here. I'm at a crossroads, and I don't have a clue as to what to do about it. I can't talk to anyone. Everyone I can talk to is involved. No one is biased. You're not even biased, but if I didn't get all of this out, I was for sure going to end up losing everything. I may still lose everything." Booth paced the room like a caged lion. Stopping every few words or so to convey through his eyes the pain and confusion to Sweets. _

_Sweets wasn't sure how to approach this version of Booth. He knew not to address him as 'agent'. He knew he was there acting as a friend. To buy himself more time, he stood and started to make coffee, letting Booth know it was okay to continue if need be._

_Neither men spoke for what seemed like hours. Booth took a deep breath and sat down in his normal spot on the familiar loveseat, except that it didn't feel so familiar. It was lacking the presence of his partner. If he tried hard enough, he could smell her perfume lingering on the fabric. He knew it wasn't possible. It's not like he and Bones were Sweets' only patients. Still, he couldn't help but to stare at the empty place to his left. _

_Sweets finished with the coffee maker and turned toward Booth. "Why don't we just start at the beginning, Booth." _

_Booth slowly lifted his gaze from the empty place on the loveseat and placed it on the young doctor. He noted that he didn't address him as 'agent' and he slowly nodded. He wasn't sure before if he came to the right place, but noting the lack of title, he began to feel that this was where he was supposed to be. This was going to work and he was going to be able to work through this. _

"_Bones told me she made a mistake. That she got the signals and she didn't want to have any regrets." Something didn't set well in his gut as he recounted the conversation they had in the truck as he drove her home that night. She was soaked to the bone and was in tears. He hated seeing her cry._

"_You told me this already, Booth." He didn't want to ask how he felt about it. Last time he pushed, Booth ignored everything. He needed to get him to open up about it. _

"_Why would she do that?" The question was more for himself than Sweets. Sweets placed a cup of coffee in front of Booth, urging him to drink. Booth took the warm mug and just held it, looking off into the distance. _

"_My experience with Dr. Brennan is that she doesn't say anything without thinking. After she saw so much of herself in that case, she decided she didn't want to leave things the way they were." He noticed Booth's jaw set. He began to ready himself for the panic that was about to ensue. He walked over to the door of his office and slowly locked the door. He turned and held his ground in front of it. Booth could over power him if he wanted, but Sweets wanted to make sure Booth knew he was taking this seriously and that he wanted to help him as much as possible. He wanted to let him know that he was here for the long haul, and he couldn't get away with intimidation._

_As if on cue, Booth threw the mug that was in his hands, coffee covering the wall under the window. He stood and started pacing again. "Why couldn't she just leave things the way they were. I was happy with Hannah!"_

"_And you're not now?" He really shouldn't have asked that._

"_I never said that, Sweets. Do not put words in my mouth, especially not those!" Booth's growl scared Sweets, but Sweets was determined not to show fear. _

_He knew he shouldn't ask the question that was at the forefront of his mind, but before he could catch himself, it just popped out, "What exactly are you angry about, Booth?"_

_Booth turned from his spot facing the window with a quickness, which in turn made the lamp on the desk fall over and the light bulb shatter. Sweets refused to leave his post at the door, afraid that if he did, Booth would just break down the door, not even considering unlocking it. Booth's eyes held a heaviness that didn't go unnoticed. He started to speak, but stopped to gather himself. He knew he was mad at himself. He couldn't bring himself to be mad at Bones. For some reason he felt he was mad at Hannah, even though none of this was her fault. _

"_I told you about what Bones said. But I also told Hannah." The thought of that conversation made him sick. He was never one to lie to someone he loved. Still, he couldn't help his stomach feeling sour._

"_And there is a problem with that?" _

"_A problem! Of course that's a problem, Sweets!" He knew his anger was growing, and he shouldn't be aiming it at Sweets, but he couldn't help but let his feelings take over._

_Sweets let Booth pace a little more before he started to speak. Before he had the chance to ask anything, Booth gave forth the information that was missing._

"_I've always told Bones that what's between us is ours. I've betrayed her. I told you, and I told Hannah what she said, and that's a betrayal." He fought back the tears of anger and self-loathing that were in his eyes. He turned away from Sweets so they could go unnoticed. He continued to pace the room. _

"_That's not something you could really keep from Hannah, Booth. She and Dr. Brennan are friends, and you know Hannah would've found out sooner or later. Better to have it come from you than Dr. Brennan. Hannah would've thought you were hiding something." Logic. Did he really have to use logic? Logic didn't make the feeling in his stomach go away. It didn't make him feel any better about telling either of them. He knew Sweets was right. That didn't help his anger. _

"_You think I don't know that already, Sweets? I could've talked to Bones. Made sure she understood that all of that was in the past and there was no reason to bring it up. Hannah didn't have to know right away. I love Hannah. She's not a consolation prize!" The louder he shouted the more Sweets wondered if he was trying to prove it to himself that what he was saying is true. _

_Knowing that what he was about to ask was going to be the death sentence of their conversation, Sweets took a deep breath and dug in his heels to stay at his post in front of the door. He put his hand behind him to silently unlock the door. He knew this was his last stand. After the question came out, there would be no more talking, rationally or not. _

"_When you told Dr. Brennan what you did last year, did you give her time to process, or did you just walk away at the first sight of resistance?" _

_Booth stopped dead in his tracks. Sweets' stiffened, but didn't give Booth the satisfaction of wavering. He didn't want Booth to leave, especially not in this state. _

"_You think I just walked away from her, don't you? I would never, and will never walk away from Bones. We just wanted different things. I love Hannah now!" Booth's pacing became more erratic. The amount of gesturing he was doing with his hands was leaving debris in their wake. To his count, Sweets had lost three coffee mugs, two lamps and three light bulbs. His office had seen better days, as had Booth. _

_With the last remaining confidence he had, Sweets attempted one last question. "You said wanted different things. Past tense. What about now?" He knew what was coming, and though his better judgment said not to do it, he moved from the door as he watched Booth stalk toward him. _

_Booth pulled on the door knob. Stopping himself, he turned to look at Sweets, "I have always, and will always love Bones. Do not mistake that. But we missed our chance. I'm with Hannah, now. Bones understands that, why can't you?" With that, he walked out the door, leaving Sweets to clean up the broken glass that surrounded him in his office. There was a lot to take in, luckily, he had the time. _


	4. Bones' Truth

"Come on, Bones, just guess!" Parker could hardly contain his excitement. He hadn't seen Bones in so long. He loved hanging out with her. She challenged him, but he didn't understand that. He just knew that she did cool stuff at the museum. And the museum was cool. And she usually told him stuff other adults wouldn't. He loved that.

"Parker, I don't have enough evidence to go off of. I'll need more before I can accurately…"

"Bones, it's a kids game of 'I spy'. You're not finding the cause of death of some bazillion year old man." Booth couldn't hide his smile. Watching Parker jump up and down in the backseat made him so happy. He knew it had been a while since Parker had seen Bones. He just didn't realize what an impact she had on him. When Parker realized Bones was in the car when they went to pick him up, he didn't even say goodbye to Rebecca. He just bolted from the door and into the SUV without turning back. He had been talking a mile a minute until Booth suggested they play a game to pass the time until they got to the Jeffersonian.

"Booth, bazillion is not accurate. No one could be a bazillion years old because that's simply not a number." She glanced over to Booth, but out of the corner of her eye saw Parker in a fit of laughter. He had tears coming out of his eyes. She wasn't sure what was so funny, but she couldn't help but start laughing. The little boy was contagious. Booth then started laughing. He hadn't heard Bones laugh a real laugh in a long time. The three of them continued laughing the rest of the way to the Jeffersonian.

Booth pulled into his usual parking spot. The three of them got out of the SUV, still in their fit of laughter, and made their way into the Jeffersonian. They walked through the lab toward Bones' office. Angela stood in the doorway of her own office watching them as Parker was animatedly talking about something and they started laughing some more. It was a sight to behold. She couldn't remember the last time she saw Brennan so happy.

The trio entered Bones' office and Booth sat down on the couch. Parker followed Bones to her desk and sat in the chair in front of it while she sat in the one behind it. They continued talking and Booth sat and watched in awe, a smile on his face. He was so enthralled he didn't notice Angela standing in the doorway. They separately took in the ease in which Bones interacted with Parker. It was so natural. Booth got an idea. He opened his phone and spoke into it, loud enough for Bones to hear. Angela acted like she just walked up, looking at Booth strangely, but stepped into the room to address everyone.

"Hey, what's going on here? I see the more attractive Booth has graced us with his presence." She saw Parker's eyes light up and he ran to give her a hug. She ruffled her fingers through his blond locks as she looked back at Booth and he gave her a grin. He snapped his phone closed and stood and walked over toward the desk.

"Hey Bones, can you do me a huge favor?" Charm smile at its fullest, he even gave a wink.

"You want me to take care of Parker while you go to the office." It wasn't a question. How did she get to be so good at reading him?

"If you don't mind. I know Parker doesn't mind, do you bub?" Still using the charm smile in full force, he was looking at Bones, and only Bones.

"Yeah, come on Bones! Can I stay? I don't want to go to dad's boring office! I wanna stay here with you!" Parker was jumping up and down at Angela's side, grinning ear to ear.

"Yeah, come one Bones!" Booth whined along with Parker. Noticing the slight smile that appeared on Bones' face, he knew she was giving in. Not without a fight, though.

"Booth, the lab isn't exactly a place for children. There's evidence all over the place." She knew that was a very weak argument. Parker had been to the lab before, and he was very well behaved. She just didn't want to give in immediately. Booth would never learn that way.

"Aww come on Bones, look at this face." He stepped over to Parker and pulled his lips down to a frown. The look didn't last long as Parker and Bones started laughing.

"There, that's the spirit. Besides, I'm sure Angela here can help keep the little man occupied." He put his arm around Angela's shoulders and pulled her into a slight hug.

"Fine, Booth. Go do what you have to do. We'll manage." She gave Parker a wink.

"Thanks Bones!" Booth walked toward the door. Calling over his shoulder he said, "I owe you one"

"Don't come crying to me when your son turns into a squint!" She yelled at him. He stopped dead in his tracks and turned to look at her. She and Parker were doubled over laughing, while Angela just shook her head with a smile. He smiled and turned around and started heading out of the Jeffersonian. He heard someone walking behind him so he slowed his pace.

"Going to the office, huh? What was that fake phone call about anyway, Booth?" He turned around to see Angela standing behind him, hands on her hips, right toe tapping.

"What do you mean fake phone call?" He wasn't expecting anyone to notice his phone didn't ring.

"Come off it Booth. I saw you sitting on the couch, then all of a sudden your phone was to your ear, and it never rang. And don't tell me it was on vibrate, because it didn't vibrate, either."She was sure of herself and he knew he was cornered.

"How do you even know that? Either way, I've got an errand I need to run. I figure this is the best solution. I go do what I need to do, and Parker gets to spend the day with Bones. Everybody wins." He knew not to use his charm smile on her. It never worked.

She looked at him, skeptical if he was telling the complete truth, but let it slide. "Alright Studly. I'll let it slide this time. But I've got your boy hostage when I want to know some real answers." With that, Booth smiled and left to his truck. Angela went back to Brennan's office. Brennan was showing Parker some old bones from who knows when when she walked through the door.

"Hey Ange, do you think you could take Parker for a bit. There's some evidence I want to go over with Mr. Nigel-Murray." Parker's eyes lit up.

"Hey can we draw and stuff, Ange? Please?"

"Well how can I say no to that cute face?" Parker shrugged his shoulders. They went into her office and Brennan made her way to the platform.

By the time Brennan was done on the platform, and Parker had exhausted all of his imaginative resources, it had been about four hours. Angela brought him into Brennan's office and he started to fall asleep on the couch. Brennan sat in her chair behind her desk and Angela threw herself into one of the chairs in front.

"Sure is a great kid, isn't he?" Ange asked. Brennan looked up from her case file and to the sleeping form on her couch.

"Yeah, he really is. There are a lot of similarities between him and Booth. It feels almost like Booth never left the office." Ange noticed a smile creep up on Brennan's face.

"You miss him, don't you Sweetie?" She could tell she caught Brennan off guard. She hoped that she wouldn't dismiss the question, or act like she hadn't heard her.

She looked from Parker to her all knowing friend, "I do, Ange. Very much. More than I care to admit. Especially to him. But he has Hannah now. So I'm not allowed to miss him." She watched Ange shake her head.

"Sweetie, you can still miss him, and you can still feel all of those things for him. He loved you for five years and never said a word. Even when you were with Sully. He still loves you. He just has to work through this on his own."

"Ange, it's not something he can work through. You don't work through a relationship. He moved on. I just wish I could. It's just all so sudden. As soon as I realize what my feelings actually are, I have to put them away. I wish I didn't miss him so much. We don't hang out like we used to. We don't celebrate after cases. I miss Parker, too. He really is a great kid." She sighed and looked over at the boy who looked and acted so much like his father. It pained her, but she was happy she got to spend today with him.

As she finished her last words, the object of her affection began to stir. She walked over to the couch and knelt beside it. She ruffled his hair with her right hand.

"Well hello sleepy head. Have a good nap?" He slowly sat up and rubbed his eyes. He looked around to take in his surroundings. He looked up at Bones and grinned widely.

"I didn't mean to sleep so long. Can we look at more bones, Bones?" He laughed at his question.

Parker stood up and stretched a little. Bones was standing with her hand outstretched for him to take it. "Of course we can, Parks, whatever you want." With that they walked out of her office and out into the lab. Ange just watched. She wasn't sure when the transformation happened, but she was glad it did. Even if she couldn't be with Booth, she at least felt something. And that was the first step. She watched Parker and Brennan move around the lab, both with huge smiles on their faces. Parker was soaking up every bit of information he could, and Brennan was happy to be teaching. She watched them stop and turn towards the entrance of the lab, and then back down to what they were looking at. She then saw Booth's form come up on to the platform. He stood off to the side just watching the two of them interact like he wasn't even there. He looked into the office where Ange was sitting and he waved. She waved back.

"They really need to get their act together; because that is the cutest family I have ever seen." She walked from Brennan's office to her own, watching Brennan and Parker talk amongst themselves and Booth grinning ear to ear.


	5. Grace

Sweets looked around his office. He went over to his coffee area, ensuring only paper cups were near. He stepped over to his desk. It looked funny with his lamp on the floor, tucked away beneath the desk, but he wasn't taking any chances this time. He knew Booth, and he knew his temper. He saw the way Booth looked at him throughout his and Dr. Brennan's session, or lack thereof. He did not need a repeat of that night. When he was sure everything breakable was either out of sight or moved to the farthest point it could be, Sweets sat at his desk. He methodically went through the events of that evening. He knew he had pushed Booth. He also knew it had to be done. He knew he had to ask the hard questions to get the man to open up and understand his own feelings. The way he and Dr. Brennan had been skirting around each other, especially since Booth's return with Hannah, was infuriating to everyone. To make matters worse, now Brennan reciprocated some sort of feelings. He couldn't imagine what was going through Booth's head. So he did what he had to do to find out. He got some reaction, but no real answers. Of course he still loved Dr. Brennan. Feelings that intense don't just go away. You can't just will them away. Even with the presence of someone new. That's what he was trying to figure out that night.

Sweets was so lost in thought he never noticed the door pop open. He didn't notice the man walk in and sit in the loveseat that was in the center of the room. He didn't hear the faint sound of that man's toe tapping on the floor. What he did hear was the man clearing his throat.

Sweets jumped and looked like a deer caught in a pair of headlights. Booth had a smile on his face, reveling in the fact that he could still intimidate the young doctor. Sweets opened his mouth once, twice, but nothing came out. He wasn't completely sure if he had been talking to himself or was simply going over the events in his head. He didn't know what Booth had or hadn't heard.

"What, no yelling at me for just barging in here without an appointment?" He had a feeling Sweets was trying not to look guilty, but he let it slide. The fact that Sweets was squirming entertained him.

Trying to compose himself better, Sweets stood from behind his desk and walked over to the single overstuffed chair that rest in front of Booth. Booth was fishing, he realized that now. If Sweets had, indeed, been talking out loud and Booth heard him, he would've made it known immediately.

"What's up with your office, anyway? Why's your lamp on the floor?" Leave it to Booth to notice the small stuff.

"After the last time you and I were in here together, I figured I'd prepare for the worst." Sweets noticed Booth flinch a little.

"Yeah, sorry about that. I got a little caught up in the moment." This wasn't the direction Sweets saw this talk going at all. After Booth's attitude earlier that morning, he was sure there was going to be slamming of doors and shouting. Lots and lots of shouting.

Noticing the dumbfounded look on Sweets' face, Booth offered, "After I left here, I did a lot of thinking. I wanted to thank you for what you did for me. Being there and all." He noticed Sweets' head tilt to the side and he could tell he was questioning something.

"But this morning…" Sweets started but saw Booth shaking his head and lowering it, obviously ashamed in his display earlier that morning.

" I was worried you were going to bring up the fact that I came to you over the weekend in front of Bones. I don't need her thinking I've gone off the deep end. I need her to continue to trust me. She would've said I should've talked to Hannah or her. You obviously see the reason I couldn't do either."

Sweets just sat in awe. He couldn't believe the man that was sitting before him. This was not the Seeley Booth he used to know. He began to wonder what kind of thinking he did after he left the other night.

"When you left the other night, you said you did a lot of thinking." Sweets watched Booth nod his head.

"What sort of things did you come up with?" He knew he had to at least try to find some answers, in the hopes of the one he had been eager for, that he loved Brennan and was tired of pretending with Hannah, surfaced.

Booth smirked and shook his head, "Ah ah ah, Sweets. Don't think that's going to work. I came down here to let you know that you are appreciated. To make sure what we talked about stays between us and doesn't make it to Bones. And that if you mention any of this to Bones, I'll deny every word of it and I'll make sure there are no more sessions."

"If you do that, then there will be no more partnership with you and Dr. Brennan." Sweets tried to mask the worry in his voice of what that could possibly mean.

"Then I'll make sure that for every session, I am either late, leaving early, or I won't say a word." Sweets was relieved. For a split second, he thought he was talking about severing their partnership.

"And that differs from what happens now, how?" Sweets felt some confidence coming back.

"You're not really going to make this into something, are you Sweets? Can't we just chalk it up to doctor patient confidentiality?" He grinned to put the young man at ease. He wanted this to go smoothly. He needed to get back to the Jeffersonian and get Parker. He knew that Bones and Parker liked spending time together, but he didn't like to push the child issue with Bones too much. If he was around and she'd had enough, he could sense it immediately and take care of the situation without either party's knowing what was happening. Besides, if he left them alone too long, she might start telling him all sorts of things he wasn't ready for his son to know yet.

"I guess technically you are a patient of mine." He didn't want to relent, but felt it was best to keep them on the same side of things. Maybe he'd confide in him more if he proved he could do what was asked of him.

"Thata boy, Sweets." Booth stood and patted Sweets' shoulder. "Now, I need to go rescue Bones from Parker!" He walked away with a smile on his face. It was a complete 180 from when he was in there earlier that morning. He felt bad about being angry, but he didn't need their conversation getting to the wrong people. He really needed to learn to control his frustrations and anger. He made his way from Sweets' office to his SUV in a matter of minutes. The ride from the Hoover to the Jeffersonian went smoothly. He seemed to be making every green light. He smiled to himself thinking that since his revelation after talking to Sweets that night, things seemed to be going rather smoothly. Other than his hiccup earlier that morning, he felt more at ease. It shocked him that he even acknowledged his frustration with Sweets, to Sweets. He pulled into the parking lot of the Jeffersonian and made his way to the lab. When he walked through the glass doors he couldn't help but smile. He watched his son and his best friend together, and their happiness was so genuine his heart skipped a beat. There she was, his best friend, teaching his son. Parker's eyes were wide open and he was smiling like he was the happiest kid in the world. Parker took in every syllable and every word Bones spoke to him. He noticed himself staring and figured he should probably approach the platform. He swiped his card through the reader and it beeped. Parker and Bones looked up at him momentarily, and he gave a wave to his son, but they just went back to what they were talking about. He made his way over to the steel table they were working off of and stood to the side, leaning against one of the railings, just smiling. He felt a set of eyes on him so he looked to the left to see Angela sitting in Bones' office. He gave her his charm smile and he waved. She waved back. He then continued watching two of his favorite people in the world.


	6. Consumed

******I wanted to get Booth's thoughts out, but realized it would be a lot of filler. So, yes, he is talking to himself :) I needed to break up the writing so you guys didn't get too bogged down. Hope it works!**  


* * *

_He walked away from Sweets' office with so much emotion running through him, he couldn't think straight. He made his way down the hall and toward the elevator. His hands were shaking as he raised one to press the button._

"_This isn't going to work at all." He stepped away from the elevator and went toward the stairs. He had to get rid of the nervous energy he was feeling. Moving was the only option, he couldn't stand still. For if he stood still for any length of time, he was afraid he would just collapse. _

_He made his way through the stairwell and down to the ground floor. He opened the door and made his way through the lobby of the Hoover and headed outside. He welcomed the cold night air. He headed through the parking lot, meandering between other parked cars. When he made it to his own, he just kept walking. There was too much going on in his head for him to drive. It wasn't safe and he was afraid of where he would end up, and in a much shorter time. No. He needed to think. _

_It had been six months since they all returned from their scattered places across the globe. Thirteen months since he confessed to his love for his partner. He didn't know what was worse, never telling her in the first place, or losing her forever. Slowly he had been assessing his actions since their return. When they met at the reflecting pool, he couldn't help but feel his heart swell. He had missed her so much while they were apart. He didn't realize how much until he laid eyes on her. He loved to watch her. He saw that when she noticed him, her eyes lit up. When they went in for a hug, he knew something was different. It didn't feel like the same hug after she came back from Guatemala after his tumor. She held on a little longer. She hugged him a little tighter. He equated it to the length of their separation, and the content of it. They sat and talked a little, but something was missing. When he pulled out the picture of Hannah, he noticed something in her, but until now, he didn't know what it was. _

"_She flinched." He shook his head wondering why he didn't see it then. He tried to run through his memory banks to remember if she ever reacted that way when he dated anyone else. He couldn't be sure, but he didn't think so. _

"_What you need to ask yourself, Seeley, is why. Why did you throw Hannah in her face? You weren't even in her presence for ten minutes before you got scared." Scared? He wasn't sure if that was the right word. Maybe it was over compensation. That had to be it. Looking through the last six months, he noticed it more than once. It almost seemed as if he was trying to prove to everyone that he was over Bones because he had Hannah. He apparently thought that by throwing himself head first into their relationship it would make everything better. It made it worse. Much worse than he could've even imagined. He canceled drinks with Bones. They rarely celebrated after cases anymore, and when they did Hannah was there. Which wasn't right, because like he told Bones before, what happened between them was theirs. She wasn't part of the case, so she shouldn't celebrate with them. There was still enough time in the day to spend time with Hannah after he and Bones had a drink or two. _

_He continued walking along the streets of D.C, not sure where he was going, but not caring, either. The more he walked, the more he played the last thirteen months in his head. He wasn't sure what to think of the night all of this started. Sweets had hyped him up so much; he wasn't even sure what he was offering Bones until she was turning him down, tears streaming down her face. By then it was too late to stop everything. What he remembered most was the fear in her eyes. She was terrified that he would walk away. He shook his head in realization._

"_I walked away." He stopped walking and leaned against a building. He couldn't believe what had happened. _

"_I never gave her a chance to process, and I just walked away from her." Hatred for himself coursing through his veins, he started walking again. He swore he would never leave, and in telling her he had to move on, in essence, that was leaving. _

"_It shouldn't have mattered she wasn't ready. She needed to work through what you told her and all you said was you had to move on! Seeley, you're an idiot!" He quickened his pace to rid the nausea that was growing. He walked away from the woman that has been his best friend for almost seven years. Everyone in her life has walked away from her at some point, and he just became another on her list. He failed her. He recounted their interactions as of late. They rarely went to lunch anymore. Even when they did, it was strictly business. There were no more late nights at the lab going through case files. No more Thai at her apartment to distract her from her book. He never tried to get her to just stop working and sit with him. He just left her behind. Yet another instance of over compensation. It was like he had to prove to himself that his feelings with Hannah were real, now that they were back stateside. In doing that, he limited his activity with Bones. Saw her only when it was necessary. At the same time, he limited his son's activity with Bones. If he felt he needed to hide himself from Bones, he certainly didn't need to hide Parker from her. It wasn't fair to anyone involved. _

_He couldn't remember the last time he guided her anywhere. Where his hand was usually placed at the small of her back, he rarely made physical contact with her anymore. They weren't even like this when they first met. He didn't even recognize his side of the partnership anymore. When he thought into it, her side stayed the same. Never wavering. She was the strongest woman he knew, and he didn't deserve her. No one really did, but he didn't even come close anymore. He wasn't the man he used to be, and he wasn't the man he wanted or needed to be._

_He walked along a familiar street, though he wasn't sure why it was so familiar. He kept his head down and continued thinking. He had to put this right. His one shining moment came when he pulled Bones from in front of that car. He finally started to realize, apparently subconsciously, that he was being less than Booth. He started noticing her actions again and knew something bad was going to happen. He didn't know when his 'Bones radar' was back, but he was glad it came in that night. He didn't even want to think about what would've happened if he hadn't been there. They just stood in the rain. He registered how beautiful she was, even then, soaking wet and almost terrified. He drove her home and then she sent a bullet in his direction. _

"_She made a mistake. She sees the signals. She doesn't want to have regrets." The words tore through him like a knife. How many times he wanted to hear them, he couldn't even count. He realized then that she was still his best friend. He just wasn't hers anymore. He needed to fix that. He didn't want to think of another day where Bones didn't turn to him if she ever needed anything. This he knew for a fact. That with him, came her. If Hannah couldn't accept that, then she can't be worth it. He knew, without a doubt, that if Bones wasn't in his life, he wasn't the man he had to be. She made him better. She was and will always be his best friend. In some capacity, he needed her in his life. __He couldn't shake the three words she uttered before they parted. 'I'm fine. Alone.' Those words would probably haunt him the rest of his life. He wouldn't allow her to feel that way anymore. It was his mission now_

_He felt a sudden break in his emotions. He wasn't angry anymore. He wasn't scared. He stopped walking and turned around taking in his location. He put a small smile on his face as he looked up and noticed he was standing in front of Bones' apartment building. He walked up the drive a little and stood off to the side in the shadows. He looked up to her window and noticed a light on. His smile got wider as he assumed she was working on her book. It was here that he vowed to himself to put himself back the way he was. He knew he still loved her. He knew he always would. It hurt him that they had missed their chance, but he knew he couldn't live without her in his life. The seven months in Afghanistan were torture without her. He wouldn't admit that that's initially why he threw himself at Hannah. Things like that were just better left unsaid. _

"_Starting tonight, Bones, I'm going to be the man you can rely on. I will never walk away from you again. I will spend the rest of my life making it up to you, I promise." With one last look at her window, he gave a smile, turned, and headed back into the dark._


	7. The Proposal

**Just bear with me!**

* * *

Booth stood watching Bones and Parker for a little over an hour. He looked down at his watch and figured they'd be hungry. At the very least Parker would, and he knew that would get Bones off the platform and them to the diner. He tried clearing his throat a few times, but it didn't catch their attention. He made his way over toward the steel table they were working on and leaned against it. Immediately, Bones' eyes snapped up and addressed him, followed then by a sharp rap on his knuckles with her fingers.

"Ouch, Bones. Sheesh. I was just trying to get your attention." He grinned. He knew what would get her focus off the table and onto him.

"Well then you succeeded. What can I do for you?" She looked impatient, but he knew she was only pretending. She was hiding a slight upward curve to her lip, indicating she was trying not to smile.

"Well, I figured you and Parker have been working so hard, it's time for a break. Perhaps some food? You know, from the diner?" He gave her his charm smile and winked over at Parker. He knew Parker loved the diner, and if Parker was convinced, it wouldn't take anything more to convince her.

"Yeah, come on Bones! Can we go to the diner? I'm starving!" He let the syllables of 'starving' drag out as long as he could.

"Well, I really doubt that you're starving, Parker, but I suppose we should go get something to eat." Parker was jumping up and down and was heading for the doors of the lab until he stopped and turned around and noticed he was alone.

"Hey, come on guys! I thought we were going!" Booth just watched Bones as she walked to her office to drop off her lab coat and to get her bag. His eyes followed her as she shut off the light to her office and closed the door behind her. He continued watching as she walked past him still on the platform as she made her way toward Parker. She looked all too happy to be spending time with him. He made his way off the platform, keeping his eyes locked on her the entire time. When he reached the two, he placed his hand on the small of her back and guided her out the door. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye and watched her eyes sparkle as she watched Parker walk backwards as he talked about the things she taught him. They made their way to the diner and sat at their normal booth with their normal meals.

Booth just sat back and let the two of them continue their talk from the lab. He was obviously not needed, with the exception of the occasional french fry leaving his plate. He watched Bones' smile as she continued to steal fries from him. She occasionally chanced a glance his way while Parker was eating or drinking. She smiled when she noticed him watching her, and then went back to giving her full attention to his son. After the three of them finished their food, Bones' cell phone went off. She stood and answered, stepping away from the table.

"You missed Bones, didn't ya bub?" Parker stopped getting the last bit out of his milkshake cup and looked up at his father. Mouth full of milkshake, Parker animatedly nodded his head up and down.

"Hey, I need to get back to the lab. Mr. Nigel-Murray apparently found an anomaly and he needs my expertise." Her matter of fact tone wasn't arrogance, Booth knew that. Sometimes it just amazed him that she was so blunt and truthful.

Booth stood to pay for their meal while Bones helped Parker clean the chocolate from his face. They made their way to the door at the same time. Booth led Bones out of the diner and they walked back to the Jeffersonian. Bones headed into the lab while Booth headed to the parking lot with Parker. Before they parted ways, Booth stopped.

"Hey Parks, why don't you jump into the truck, I'll be right there. And say thank you to Bones for spending the day with you." Parker ran toward Bones and hugged her waist tightly.

"Thanks Bones, for everything!" He held on a little longer while Bones put her arms around him and she ruffled his hair.

"Anytime Parker. I enjoy spending time with you very much." He looked up at her and smiled, then let go, running toward the SUV.

"Hey Bones, thank you again for taking care of Parker. It really means a lot to me. It means a lot to Parker, too." He looked down at his feet, not wanting to look her in the eye.

"I meant what I said, Booth." She reached out and touched his arm, getting him to look at her.

He raised his eyes and saw sincerity in her eyes. He wasn't sure what meaning she had behind her words, but either way, he knew she was genuine.

"Thanks, Bones." He leaned in and gave her a kiss on the cheek and stepped back from her. He looked her in the eyes and gave her a genuine smile. She smiled back and he started to walk away. She wanted to stop him, but knew she had work to do. She turned and went into the Jeffersonian, turning once to watch him leave. As much as it hurt that he was with someone else, she would rather him still be in her life than not at all. He was her best friend, she would take him in any capacity she could.

* * *

Parker and Booth rummaged around the kitchen figuring out dinner when Hannah walked in the door.

"How are my two favorite boys?" She gave Booth a kiss and smiled down at Parker.

"Dad, can I go play in my room?" Booth nodded and the boy went off down the hall to his room.

Booth gave her a kiss before continuing moving through the kitchen making dinner. Hannah took her bag into their bedroom and came back out wearing sweatpants and an old t-shirt. She started helping set the table and portioned the food out onto their plates. She was never sure what to give Parker, so she hesitated until Booth walked over and smiled.

"He's a guy; he'll eat until you make him stop. He could probably eat twice his weight in food, Han. No reason to be nervous." He continued smiling as he portioned the food onto his son's plate.

"I'm just not used to being around kids, Seeley. Especially not in this capacity."

"Parker loves you, there's no reason to doubt it. Just be you. That's all." He called Parker from his room and the three of them sat down and ate.

"So, Parker," She looked up at Booth and he nodded, "what did you do today?" Parker looked up from his plate toward Booth, who raised his eyebrow, then to Hannah.

"Daddy had to go to the office, so I got to hang out with Bones and Ange all day! It was so much fun!" Parker couldn't hide the sparkle in his eyes. "Ange and I made a bunch of pictures with her art supplies and Bones helped me learn all of the bones in my arm. It was awesome!" The only reason the boy stopped was to cram more food in his mouth.

Booth noticed the slight hurt on Hannah's face, but before he could address it, she hid it.

"That sounds great, Parker. I'm glad you had a good day." They finished eating in near silence. Parker was absorbed in his meal, Booth was thinking about Hannah, and Hannah was thinking about Bones.

Booth got Parker bathed and to bed while Hannah cleaned up the dishes. He walked into the living room to find a bear on the table for him, while she had a glass of scotch. She knew it was going to be hard to win over that little boy, but she wasn't aware that she'd still be competing with the infamous 'Bones'.

"Hey, Han, I want to talk to you about something." She noticed his face and decided that it wasn't going to be a bad conversation, but it was going to be lengthy. She took a large gulp of her drink and set the glass on the table next to his untouched beer.

"Go ahead, Seeley." She took a deep breath and sank back into the couch.

"Well, listen. I'm not really sure where to start with this, so just bear with me. You know that Bones and I have been through a lot together, right? And you know that I love you very much?" She shifted in her seat a little. He noticed and placed his hand in hers and pulled her a little closer to him.

"Just listen. To everything. Bones is my best friend. We have been through more than our fair share of events. We've been through more life and death scares than anyone can imagine. When two people like Bones and I have saved each other from death as much as we have, it's inevitable that we'd be as close as we are. There's something about her that you have to know, and I can only be vague about it. She's had a rough life. Everyone in her life, at one point or another has left her. From day one, I swore to her that I would never be one of those. I failed her. I walked away from her. When I met you, it was right after I left her. I wasn't in a good place. I wasn't the man I'm supposed to be."

"Seeley, listen…"

"No, I'm not done. Just, just listen to me. I need you to hear this. Since we've been back from overseas, I've realized that I'm not the man I used to be. I can't be this man anymore. I have to be who I'm supposed to be. Bones is important to me. She's my partner and she's my best friend. Without her, I simply would not be here. What I'm trying to say is that I have to be there for her when she needs me. I'm one of two people she can truly count on. She doesn't trust many people. She needs stability. She needs to know that I won't walk away from her again. I need her in my life as much as she needs me in hers. And I need you to understand all of this."

He sat and watched Hannah for any sign of flight or tears. He had no idea how this was going to go, but he had to at least be that honest with her. He may not be willing or ready to divulge the entirety of his past to her the way he has to Bones, but he had to start somewhere.

She took a deep breath before she spoke. Booth held his breath. "Seeley, you're a fool. From the moment we met, I've known how much Temperance means to you. You'd have to be stupid not to. She was all you talked about. Why do you think I wanted to become friends with her when I first got here? I know she means a lot to you. I would like to think that eventually I would become your best friend, but I understand the place she holds in your life. I've always understood that. I can see that she is a special person."

Booth let out the breath he had been holding. He didn't know how this was going to go, and now that they got through it, he knew what was going to come next. He moved from his position next to her on the couch, though he kept holding her hand. He moved in front of her and stood on one knee. He moved his finger under her chin to pull her eyes to him. He reached in his pocket and removed the ring that was nestled inside.

"Hannah, you accept me for who I am. You support me while I find out who that's supposed to be. You understand my faults, and you can see past them enough to love me. I love you very much, Hannah, and I would be so happy if I could call you my wife. Will you marry me?"

He watched tears fill her eyes. He searched them to find an answer, but he had no idea what she was thinking. He watched her sit up and move to the edge of the couch. She composed herself and flung her arms around his neck.

"Seeley, you have made me so happy since the day I met you. I'm not letting you get away; of course I'll marry you!" She held on a little tighter to his neck and closed her eyes. When she opened them she noticed they were no longer alone.

"Dad." Parker's tiny voice broke them from their embrace.

"Hey bub, what's going on? Are you okay?" He got up from the floor and walked over to his son.

"I wanted a glass of water. What's going on?" The boy was just like his father, and could always sense when things changed.

Booth walked into the kitchen and got him a glass of water. He walked back into the living room where Parker was sitting in a chair. He knelt in front of him giving him the glass. Parker took the glass, but didn't drink. He was waiting for his answer.

"Well, bud. I just asked Hannah to marry me and she said yes!" Booth was smiling, but it started to fall as he noticed his son just nodded. Parker drank his water and handed Booth the glass back.

"That's great guys. Goodnight dad." With that, Parker walked back down the hall and back into his room. Booth wasn't sure, but he thought he heard a faint 'dangit' coming from the hallway. He looked over to Hannah and saw that she was no longer smiling.

"Hey, don't worry about him. He's half asleep. He'll warm to the idea." He gave her a kiss and welcomed her into his arms. The only thing he was left wondering was how to tell Bones.


	8. Facing the Music

Booth woke up and stretched, eyes still closed. He felt around on the other side of his bed and noticed there was no one there, and it was cold. Hannah had apparently gone into work early. He blinked several times and looked over at his alarm clock. He sighed heavily and started to sit up. They spent most of the night talking about the wedding. How soon they wanted it, where it was going to be. Who was going to attend. There weren't a whole lot of people to attend from Hannah's side. In fact, there was no one. She was too competitive to keep any real friends at work.

Booth stood and finished stretching, then walked to the bathroom to take a shower. He had a lot to do today, and most of it had nothing to do with work. Most of it consisted of going to the Jeffersonian. He finished getting ready and headed to the Hoover. He had to at least make an appearance. He made his way through the bullpen and headed into his office. He made a couple phone calls and thumbed through a few case files. He did as little work possible in as much time as he could squeeze. When he thought a sufficient amount of time passed, he made one last phone call and headed out the door. He made his way out of the elevator and back to his truck. He stopped at his favorite Thai place and headed to the Jeffersonian. Making his way through the lab, he kept an eye out for two people. He got to his first destination and noticed Bones was not there. He placed the takeout on her coffee table and left a note:

_Bones, _

_Got your favorites. No arguing, you need to eat. Set everything up, I'll be right back_

_-Booth_

He made his way from her office to Angela's. He glanced to the platform to see if he missed where Bones was, but saw no sign of her. Angela was at her computer when he walked in. He made his way over to her and sat down in front of her desk.

"What can I do for you, handsome?" She was still typing on her computer, but gave him a smile.

"I've got to talk to you, but I need you to remain calm." She stopped typing and looked up from her computer. She turned off her monitor and wheeled her chair out to sit in front of him.

"When you start a sentence that way, it's usually a guarantee that what you're asking isn't going to happen."

"I know, but Ange, I really need some discretion. You're the first person I've told, and I'd like Bones to hear it from me." Nice one, Booth. Cause that's not obvious.

He watched her eyes go wide, give a hint of sadness and disappointment. She sat still, nodding. He watched the emotions run through her, and he didn't quite understand it.

"So you and Hannah are getting married, huh?" No cute nickname. It wasn't really a question. He tried to make sense of it and then he noticed her smile and her eyes softened. "That's great, Booth. I hope you guys are really happy!" Her smile didn't meet her eyes, but she still seemed happy.

"Well, the reason I'm here is because we kind of need your help. Hannah doesn't have any female friends that can help with this, and you're amazing at planning things." He smiled his best smile, quick to note that charming her wouldn't cut it. He needed to be sincere.

"Flattery will get you far, Studly. Though this isn't my first choice for your wedding, I will do my very best." She gave him a huge smile and stood up. He followed her lead and she wrapped her arms around him, giving him a kiss on his cheek. She whispered in his ear, "Go easy on her when you tell her. This is going to be hard." He nodded in understanding and watched her walk toward the door.

"Ange!" She stopped and turned to face him. "I know what you're saying, and I want to thank you. You know, for supporting me. Really, it means a lot." She smiled at him and walked away. She was hurt. He knew she was hurt. He couldn't keep dwelling on the past, though. He's known for years that Ange wanted him with Bones. He wasn't sure how bad this would affect her, but he was glad she was helping. That was a step in the right direction. Now, to the hard part. He walked from Ange's office toward the one he knew all too well. He could smell the Thai food, so he knew she was there. He stepped into the doorway and watched her portion out their meal. It had been too long since they shared a meal. He stepped in and closed the door behind him. He wasn't sure how this was going to go, so he had to prepare for the worst. When she heard the click of the lock, she glanced up at him.

"Is there a reason you're locking us in here?" She passed him his plate and he sat down next to her on the couch.

"Thanks, Bones. I just think we should have some privacy, that's all. You know how nosy those squints can be?" He smiled at her, but she didn't return it. She was starting to feel cornered and she didn't like it.

"I thought we were just having lunch, Booth. Why would they be nosy about that?" He could feel her pulling away and building her walls back up. She put her plate down and turned to face him. He needed to tread delicately before everything came crashing down.

"Bones come on. You need to eat. I just wanted to talk to you is all. So first we eat, and then we talk, okay?" She hesitated but picked up her plate. They ate in silence, each stealing glances at the other, not knowing what they were thinking. Bones put down her plate, but her chopsticks remained in hand. Booth glanced over his shoulder to look out into the lab and when he looked back, he was missing a dumpling. He looked over at Bones and found the missing food.

"You think you're real smooth, don't ya, Bones?" He chased her with his chopsticks and she started laughing. He hoped the playfulness would soften the blow of the news he had to give her. He wasn't sure if he was ready to tell her, but she made that decision for him.

"What is it you want to talk about, Booth? You don't usually close my door, much less lock it." She looked down at her hands, then to the empty boxes of food. Anywhere except at him.

"You know that you mean everything to me, right Bones?" He watched her sink into her position in the couch, still not meeting his eyes. He hated seeing her so small and vulnerable. There was no easy way to do this and it tore him apart. She simply nodded.

"Hey, will you look at me? Please?" She heard the pleading in his voice, but she didn't give in. She had a feeling this was coming, and as much as she tried to prepare for it, she had no idea the pain would be this bad. She felt him tuck his index finger under her chin and pull her gaze to him. He watched a single tear flow from her eyes. That's all she was going to allow him. One. Single. Tear.

"Bones, oh please don't." His eyes searched hers but the unshed tears had disappeared. She locked them away for later. He would not get to see them. He would not be the one to console her when it was he who caused her pain. She knew it wasn't rational. She pushed him away. She knew it was her fault, but she refused to be mad at herself. He was an easier outlet.

"I guess by all that you already know what I'm going to say?" She nodded her head. She didn't want to hear him say it. It would make it more real. She knew he would. He had to make things clear for them. If things weren't clear, they would never get past this.

"Hannah and I are getting married." He noticed her eyes widen for a split second before returning to normal. He hated himself for putting her through all of this, but he knew with her, the direct approach was best.

"This doesn't change anything for us, Bones. We're still partners. We're still the best crime solving duo there ever was. And you're still my best friend." He watched confusion cloud her eyes. She tilted her head to the side.

"How is that supposed to work, Booth? How am I still your best friend? Isn't Hannah supposed to be your best friend?" She was grasping at straws. She didn't know how all of those things were supposed to work. She just assumed that now that he was with Hannah, he would no longer need her. She needed clarification.

"I know it's not rational. I can't really explain it myself. But there's too much history between us to put behind us. Even if there wasn't, I wouldn't want to. I've always told you, Bones. What goes on between us, that's ours. That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it'll always be. I've told Hannah this. She knows what she's getting into. She knows that with me, comes you. We're partners. Nothing can take that away." He felt he had to reassure her. He didn't want her to run. He didn't want her to bail. Whatever capacity, he needed her in his life. He would also much rather that capacity to be a positive one.

"There are things about my past that I wanted to remain hidden, but through our many years together, one way or another, you got them out of me. I don't take that lightly. I don't regret telling you any of them, Bones, but it doesn't mean I want other people to know them, either. I know that the only thing that makes sense is that the person I'm going to spend the rest of my life with should know those things, but I can't bring those things out in the open. You know those things, and that's enough for me." He was near tears. He knew that this was going to hurt her. He just wasn't prepared for what he would feel seeing the hurt in her eyes. He hoped she would understand what he was telling her. He knew she didn't understand being vague. He couldn't find any more words to convey his message, though. He hoped that this was enough.

She sat and looked him in the eyes for what felt like forever to him. He needed her to speak. He had to know if she was going to stick around. He had to know what she was thinking. She took a deep breath.

"Do you think that if she knew that she would leave you?" She glanced down at her hands. Afraid of what is answer would be.

"What? No Bones. That's not it at all. It's just…you know how before we got so close, Ange was the only one who knew about your parents?" She still didn't look at him. He reached over and pulled her face up to see him. "Don't you remember what it was like living it all over again? With me?" She nodded her head. He knew she was terrified of her past becoming common knowledge. That's why she built her walls. His hand remained under her chin. He watched her breathe in deeply, trying to gain strength.

"I understand, Booth. What goes on between us is ours. You can trust me." She wasn't saying what she was feeling, but he didn't expect her to. He just needed to know she'd be around. That the walls he had worked so hard to break through weren't being built back up.

Booth sighed. "Bones, it was never a question of trust. I know I can trust you. I've always known that. I want and need your support." He felt like he was pleading with her. He was terrified she was going to run. That she was going to revert back to 'business-as-usual' and all the progress they've made in the last seven years was for nothing.

"Well of course I support you, Booth. I want you to be happy." He saw her eyes were hurt, but sincere. "What does Parker think of all of this?" The question threw him. He hadn't expected that. She continued to surprise him.

"It's going to be an adjustment for him. This only happened last night, so he hasn't really had the time to process it. He'll be okay with it, though. He's a good kid, and he likes Hannah, so it'll be fine." He heard his own voice and he sounded unsure of himself.

"I would've assumed this would be something you would address him about beforehand. It does affect him, too." He flinched at her words. He knew she was right. He loved her brutal honesty, but sometimes it hurt. "Sorry Booth, I didn't mean to…"

"No, Bones. You have no reason to be sorry. You're right. Traditionally, I would've talked to Parker about it. It just happened all of a sudden. But trust me; I'll talk to him about it." He gave her a smile. He couldn't believe she thought about Parker. She was ever-changing.

"Well that's good," she pointed out into the lab, "because he's here."


	9. Sneaky

**This chapter is a little long. I got carried away in the story and I couldn't stop. Everywhere I felt was safe for a break didn't really make sense. **

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He turned in his position on the couch to see his son walking hand in hand with Ange. The two had smiles on their faces and they were walking toward Ange's office. Booth stood and unlocked the door and opened it.

"Hey dad!" Parker waved but continued on to his destination. Booth looked back at Brennan confused. He walked after his son, trying to figure out why exactly he was there, and more importantly, how he got there. He stepped into the office and watched Parker jump up and down. He was apparently excited at something Ange had just told him.

"Hey bub, what's going on?" Booth knelt down and Parker ran toward him. He picked him up and hugged him. Parker then squirmed to get free. Booth set him down and he went back over toward Angela. She handed him some markers and paper. She ruffled his hair and looked up at Booth. She knew his look all too well.

"You sit here Parker. I'm gonna go talk to your dad, and when I get back, I want to see what you came up with!" He smiled at her and got to work. She walked over toward Booth and put her arm around his shoulder, pulling him out of ear shot of his son.

"I was heading out to talk to Hannah, per your request and before I could get to my car, Rebecca pulled up. She said she was trying to call your cell and your office, but couldn't get you. She figured the only other place you'd be is here. I just happened to intercept him."

"Is he okay? I mean, is he sick or something?" He looked over his shoulder at his son concentrating on his project.

"He's fine. Rebecca had to go out of town on business and she figured it would be easier if she picked him up from school early and brought him to you rather than you trying to find a way to get him. His bag is in my car. I took him to lunch at the diner. I figured you needed time to talk to Bren. He's safe and happy, Booth. You can get the worried look off your face." She smiled and leaned into him, giving him a slight poke with her elbow. He broke his stare from his son and looked over at her. He couldn't help but smile back. He pulled his arm around her and rested his head on hers. He was so thankful for the squint squad. He didn't know what he would do without them.

"Thanks Ange." Before he could say anything else, Brennan was calling him toward her office.

"Cullen just called, Booth. He seems to think you ducked out of work this morning, though I don't know what that means." Booth sighed heavily. He meant to take the case files that were on his desk with him to avoid this from happening. He looked from her toward Ange's office where his son sat happily drawing pictures.

"He thinks I skipped out on work. I forgot to take some case files with me before I left. I should probably straighten this entire thing out with Cullen before he puts me on desk duty for the next month." He ran his right hand over his face while his left hand was resting on his hip. He continued staring at his son. He knew he couldn't take him with to the Hoover. He didn't feel right asking Bones to watch him again; he'd just have to figure something out.

"I guess I should get Parker rounded up so I can go do this. Are we okay, Bones? I mean, I know it's a lot to take in. I don't want to hurt you, you know that, right? I need us to be okay. We can talk some more, if you want. I just need to get Parker and get to the office before all hell breaks loose." She walked from her desk toward him. She put her hand on his left arm and looked him in the eyes.

"I've told you before, Booth. I just want you to be happy. If you are, then I'm happy for you. We're okay. There's no need to talk any further. Leave Parker here with us. I don't think Cullen would appreciate scolding you in front of your son." She smiled at him and he returned it. She was volunteering to take Parker. He began to wonder when these changes took place and how he never saw them before. He took his right hand and placed it over the one she placed on his arm.

"Thanks Bones. Really. You're amazing!" He gave her a wink and headed toward Ange's office.

"Hey Parks, I've got to go to the office, but you're gonna stay here with Bones and Ange, okay?" Parker looked up and smiled, eyes sparkling. He got up and ran toward Booth, wrapping his arms around his waist.

"Sweet! Thanks dad! I love it here!" He made his way back toward Ange's couch. Booth looked up at Ange.

"You don't mind, do you? I can bring him by Bones' office if you need me to." She was shaking her head before he even finished his question.

"He is no problem, Booth. Go do what you need to. You heard the boy, he loves it here!" She pushed him out the door and went back to making pictures with Parker. Booth looked back once, and then headed off to the Hoover.

"Alright, so what do we have here, little man. What's this picture?" Ange held up one of Parker's drawings.

"That's me and Bones. She was helping me to learn all the bones in my arm. I've almost got em all memorized!" She picked up another one.

"What about this one?"

"That's me, dad and Bones at the diner. See how Bones has her hand across the table? It's cause she always takes dad's fries. He always tells her to stop, but I don't think he really means it, cause she keeps doing it and he smiles." Ange was beginning to understand just where this project was going. One by one she went through the boy's pictures. They were either of him and Brennan, or him, Booth and Brennan. She had a nagging question. She wasn't sure if she should ask, but she went for it. Her curiosity got the better of her.

"There are no pictures of Hannah in any of these, bud. How come?" He shrugged and continued working on his latest picture, which appeared to be of him, Booth and Brennan at a pool.

"Do you not like Hannah?" She knew she was hovering over a line, but she just had to know.

"She's okay I guess. Dad says he's gonna marry her." The light in his eyes lessened. She felt her heart reach for the little boy. She looked to the door to notice Brennan standing there.

"Hey, I'm gonna go get a snack, you want one Parks?" He smiled up at Ange and nodded his head. She walked out the door and took Brennan with her.

"Ange, do you think it's a good idea to leave him in your office alone? I'm responsible for…"

"Sweetie, he's not going anywhere. If he did end up anywhere else, it would be in your office. That boy loves you." They walked toward their break area that was always stocked with food. She picked up a bag of pretzels, an apple and a bottle of grape juice.

"I love him, too." Ange wasn't sure if she heard Brennan, she spoke so softy.

"I asked him to draw me some pictures of what makes him happy. You're in every one of them, Sweetie. If it's not just you and him, it's of you, him and Booth." They walked back toward Ange's office, but before they got there, they spotted Parker sitting in Brennan's office chair, spinning himself in circles. They walked to the doorway and stood watching him.

"Hey there, dizzy boy." Angela stopped him from spinning. Parker stood up, laughing. He tried to walk toward Brennan, but the zig zag line he was making had him headed toward the couch instead. He collapsed on the worn leather and continued laughing. Brennan walked to the far side of the couch and sat down. Ange walked over and sat on the other side leaving Parker in the middle.

"I'd offer you your food, but I'm afraid you might hurl." Ange watched Parker's head wobble slightly as he smiled and reached out his hands.

"No way! Dad and I do this all the time! We have contests to see who can spin the longest. I always win and I almost never get sick!" He went to grab the pretzels and juice.

"Hold on there, almost?" Ange was holding the food just out of his reach and laughing at his impatient stare. He looked so much like his father it was scary.

"Okay, okay. Just, if you do decide to get sick, at least head for the trash can." Ange smiled. Parker sat back and opened his bag of pretzels, looking back and forth at the women on either side of him.

"Bones, do you like Hannah?" She looked past Parker at Ange terrified. She had no idea what she was supposed to say, and Ange had lowered her gaze to Parker. She was apparently going to be no help.

"Uh, yeah, I like Hannah, Parker. She's nice. What makes you ask?" She had no idea what to say, how to say it, or why he was asking. This was completely out of her league, and the only person that could be of assistance was cutting chunks off an apple and feeding them to Parker.

"I guess. Did you know dad is gonna marry her?" He looked directly into her eyes. He learned a lot from his father, and this was one of the important ones. To understand Bones was to watch her eyes. All of her emotions displayed through her eyes. It was never something he outright said. It was just one of the things Booth unknowingly taught him. Parker noticed surprise and fear. He also saw sadness. He understood before she even answered, before she clouded those feelings and emotions. It happened all in an instant.

"Yes Parker, I did. Your father came to talk to me this morning. How do you feel about that?" She felt it cowardice to turn the question around onto a ten year old, but she was genuinely concerned for his feelings.

"I guess it's okay. I mean, dad seems happy and all, but Hannah is kinda boring. All she talks about is work, but her work is stupid. It's not cool like yours and dad's jobs. I wish I could see you more." He continued to hold her gaze. He wanted her to know he missed her.

"Me too, Parker, me too." He laid his head in her lap and curled on the couch.

"I don't feel so well." It wasn't all from the spinning.

"Why don't you just close your eyes and take a little nap, bud." Ange stood, smiled at him and ruffled his hair, then laid a blanket over him. She watched Brennan slightly panic.

"Sweetie, I'm just going to turn out the lights. Let the little man sleep. I told you, he loves you." Brennan calmed, and she wasn't sure if it was the statement, the fact that Ange didn't leave, or the little boy now asleep in her lap. Maybe a combination of all three.

"He doesn't seem happy about the arrangement, Ange." Brennan was at a near whisper for fear of waking the boy.

"He knows what he knows and he doesn't know Hannah. He's going to have to talk to Booth about this. It's good that he told you, though. It shows he trusts you, Bren. The question is, how do you feel about the arrangement?" Panic and fear came back to Brennan's eyes and Ange just smiled. She knew she couldn't leave. Parker was asleep in her lap. No quick exit for her.

"I thought we talked about this already." She was trying to calm herself. She knew she couldn't get up without disturbing Parker. She had to just wait it out.

"We never talked about this because this only came to light this morning. You know he asked me to help Hannah plan the wedding, and you know he's going to ask that you be there?" It seemed cruel to talk about all of this given the circumstances, but it was the best way to get the truth. She found the rationale in that, she was sure Brennan would, too.

"I assumed you would help plan the wedding because you're good with all of that stuff. I assumed I would go because I want to support Booth. It isn't his fault I denied him in the first place. He deserves to be happy." She wasn't sure why, but it felt good getting some feelings out. She wouldn't tell her everything, but a little was okay.

"So do you, Bren." Parker shifted and stretched his legs out onto Ange's lap. They were both locked in.

"I can't just box away these feelings, though. I can't just pretend that I don't love Booth." She watched Ange's eyes light up and she was so grateful that Parker was rested between them because Ange couldn't scream.

"Oh, Sweetie. I know this is so hard for you. I want to be excited about what you just said, but considering the obstacle in the way I really can't. Are you really okay with all of this? I can not help with the wedding if you want. Whatever you need, Bren, I'm here for you." Ange was in tears for the pain she felt for Brennan. Brennan just nodded.

"No, Ange. Do it for Booth. This means everything to him. What kind of person would I be if I had you walk away from him when he needed you? Remember what you said about him sticking around when I was with Sully? I'll work through this; it's just going to take some time. His happiness means everything to me." She held back tears that were threatening to fall. She could not allow them to. Not there. Especially not with Parker so close. She absentmindedly ran her fingers through the little boy's hair. She hoped one day he would understand.

"I'm with you on this, Bren. 100%. You give the word and I'm splitsville." Ange leaned a little to the side, careful not to move the boy and she noticed Booth heading their way. She did not notice the slightly open eyes on said boy.

"Sweetie, Booth's here. Do you want me to wake Parker so you…."

"I'm fine Ange. Really." And with that she saw that Brennan was indeed fine. Like a veil was placed over her face, her eyes were dry with no signs of tears. Ange had no idea how she did it, but the defense mechanism came in handy.

"What's this? You two are like putty in that boy's hands!" Booth smiled as he saw the two women look down on the boy whose eyes were now sealed tightly. He walked between the coffee table and the couch and leaned toward Parker. He tapped on his nose.

"Sleepy head wake up!" Parker stirred and slowly opened his eyes. He smiled when he saw his dad's face. He sat up slowly and leaned into Brennan.

"Thanks Bones. I feel better now." She threw her arm around him and pulled him into a hug.

"Feel better? What happened?" He looked Parker over, worried that something bad may have happened. It felt like overkill, but Rebecca was starting to let him see Parker more. He didn't want to end that before it really started.

"When Bren and I came back from getting him a snack, we found him spinning in her chair. Follow that with some pretzels and grape juice, well, we just had him sleep it off." Ange winked and smiled at Parker. She had a feeling there was something else to his illness, but she let it slide.

"You do know I'm the reigning champ, don't ya bub?" He jokingly punched Parker in the arm with a wide smile on his face.

"You wish dad!" Parker stood up and tackled Booth. He caught Parker in his arms and playfully set him on the ground.

"I guess we should head out. Got to get this boy fed some real food and reclaim my title!" Parker ran off with Booth closely behind. Before he was too far from the door, he came back.

"Bones, Ange, thanks again. It means a lot to me that you guys took care of Parker." He said both their names, but he was focused solely on Brennan. She had a wide smile on her face from watching the boys wrestle. It carried over into their conversation.

"Anytime Booth. I really love spending time with Parker." He noticed a tear form in her eyes but before he could address it, he was being pulled out of her office.

"Come on you big chicken!"

"Sorry Bones, we'll talk later?" Before he could get his answer, Parker pulled him out the door and they were gone.

"Sweetie, if it hurts that bad, take some time. He'll understand. He doesn't really have a choice in the matter."

"No. The last time I took some time he went to Afghanistan and I didn't hear from him for months. I thought I lost him. He may be with Hannah, but at least he's here. I can't lose him for good. If this is the way it has to be then I have to accept that. I'd rather be in his life as a friend than not in his life at all. It'll be okay. Three days until the world turns right side up again."


	10. The Talk

**Sorry it took so long. I got stuck in the dialog and lost motivation. It took me a minute to push through, but I managed. Hope it's okay!**

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He had a lot to think about, and he had a lot to ask, he just didn't know how to form the thoughts into words. He expertly used Bones' act to perfection. On the outside he was playful and energetic. On the inside, Parker was torn into a dozen pieces. He didn't understand how his father could be so blind as to not notice the changes in his own best friend. He wasn't sure why or how Hannah had come into their lives, but he knew it was hurting one of the constants in his own life, and he didn't like it at all. He didn't need to hear the conversation back at the Jeffersonian to know that. That's what confused him the most. How he could see her so little, but know so much more than his father seemed to.

"Bub, are you even listening to me?" Booth caught Parker's eyes in the rearview mirror.

"Yeah dad, I was just trying to remember if I had any homework or not." It wasn't a very good lie, but he wasn't ready to have his thoughts heard.

"Well we're almost to the diner, so I hope you're hungry." Booth shot him a smile and Parker gave one back. He made sure to make it extra big to compensate for not listening.

Booth pulled into a parking spot and got out of the truck. Before he could get the rear driver's side door open, Parker had jumped from the rear passenger side door and raced around the truck.

"Race ya!" Parker had punched Booth in the arm and ran toward the doors to the diner. Taken off guard, Booth trailed behind but let his son have the victory of claiming their usual table. As he walked through the doors, the waitress was already talking to Parker. Before Booth could make it to their table, the waitress was walking past him and gave him a smile.

"What did you order?" Booth gave him a smile that accompanied a skeptical look as he sat across from his son. He had a feeling there was a large chocolate milkshake heading their way.

"Just some dinner, dad." Try as he might, he couldn't contain the excitement as the forbidden dessert was heading his way. The waitress set down the parfait glass in front of Parker, and the blender cup in front of Booth. She tossed a couple straws down on the table and gave Booth a wink.

"You call this dinner, funny man?" Booth snatched the straws before Parker could react and tore the paper from the top of one. He put the straw in his mouth and blew, sending the paper missile straight into Parker's face.

"Real mature, dad!" Parker was laughing as he lunged across the table to get the other straw from Booth. He held the straw just out of Parker's reach for a few seconds then relented and gave it to him. Booth watched Parker's eyes light up as he tore the wrapper from the straw and placed the straw into the milkshake. He took a few hurried sips of the milkshake before he slammed his hand against his forehead and shut his eyes tight.

"Brainfreeze!" Booth just laughed at him.

"That's what you get for sneaking a milkshake, bub." Parker opened his eyes back up and shook his head a little. Booth was laughing at him and he couldn't help but smile. The waitress brought them their food and Parker began eating his fries.

"Dad…" His voice wasn't as strong as he wanted it to be. Before he could say anything further, Booth stepped in.

"Parks, I want to talk to you. You'll have your chance to go, I just want to talk first, okay?" Parker nodded his head. He hoped he would get some answers and not have to form the questions.

"First off, I want to say that I'm really sorry for not talking to you about the Hannah thing beforehand. I had every intention of doing so, I swear. What you think of everything; of Hannah, of us getting married, it all matters, bub. You do know that, right?"

Parker simply nodded. His head was down, but his eyes were up. He was thinking everything over carefully. The situation was delicate. He couldn't simply spout out everything he knew, everything he felt. He had to be strong; for himself, his dad, and more importantly, for Bones.

"So talk to me little man. What's going on in that head of yours?" Booth snatched a fry off of Parker's plate then dipped it into the milkshake and ate it. Parker smiled.

"Dad, you're so gross!" He felt his voice come back. He wasn't sure what he was going to say or ask, but he felt more confident now.

"Why doesn't Hannah ever talk to me?" He wasn't offended. He was just curious as to how she thought the three of them were supposed to be a family, but she never talked to him.

"Oh Parks, Hannah loves you. She really does, she's just doesn't think she's good with kids. It looked like you guys hit it off in the park that day." Parker wasn't sure which thing to address first. He decided to go on defense.

"You said that about Bones, too, but she's awesome! It was never like this with her." He looked down at his plate and moved his French fries around the specks of salt. He felt like the conversation needed to go in a better direction. He didn't want to play the Bones card yet.

"Listen bub. Hannah, she's just got to get used to being around an awesome kid like you." Booth smiled, hoping to get Parker to do the same. Parker just looked up at the break in conversation. "I know this is all new, bud, but I need to know what you're thinking so we can work this all out."

"I miss Bones." The words were out of his mouth before he even knew what was happening. He was trying to wait as long as possible, but he couldn't keep those feelings back anymore.

"I know you do, Parks, and I'm so, so sorry. I haven't been the best friend to her that I should be and you've suffered for that. I've realized that and I'm going to make it up to you. To the both of you, but I need some give here, buddy. Hannah is around and is going to be for a long time, so I need for you to try to help me find some common ground here for all of us. I promise that you can spend as much time with Bones as you want, but we've got to work with Hannah too, okay? Hey, did you know that Bones and Hannah are friends?" Parker stopped chewing on his French fry and his eyes were wide open.

"Really?" He couldn't really believe it. Either that or he didn't want to, but he didn't think his dad would lie to him. If Bones could give her a shot, maybe he should too.

"Yeah, they go out for drinks sometimes. They hang out, gossip. You know usual girl stuff. Then again this is Bones, so it's probably not 'normal' but the point is she makes an effort, ya know?" He watched his son nod his head. He knew he was running the information through his head. He was becoming more and more like a squint every day. He couldn't be more proud.

"Okay, dad. But I get all the Bones times I want, right?" Parker smiled the patented 'Booth' charm smile.

"Well, within reason, bud. You can't be at her side 24/7, but I'm sure we can work out a few days a week, if it's okay with your mom." Parker simply nodded. He knew there would be a catch.

"Now listen to me, though. I really want you to get to know Hannah better, and if there's a problem, I need you to come to me and talk about it. I need all my favorite people on the same page, okay?"

"What do I call her?" He figured the safest question to ask was the stupidest one. He had to follow Bones' lead and put on a brave face, at least for now.

"Bub, you call her Hannah. Simple as that." Parker nodded. He was working up the courage to ask some questions and he didn't want to waste any more concentration on menial words.

"Dad, are you happy?" He knew he was probably not old enough for this question, but he wanted to see the emotion in his dad's eyes. Gauge for himself the feelings that may lie hidden. Booth simply sighed.

"I am happy, Parks. I'd be a lot happier if you'd talk to me, though." He knew his son wasn't revealing everything.

Parker shifted in his seat. He couldn't bring himself to clue his dad into the changes Bones has been making. It was something he would have to figure out for himself. It pained him to allow that to happen, but he felt that if he himself was allowed to be around Bones more, at least he could make her feel a little better.

"I think I just need some time dad. I'm still trying to get use to Captain Fantastic, and he's been around for ages." He hoped by comparing the fact that the other person in his mother's life wasn't yet welcome would help the situation.

Booth nodded. He hated himself for throwing his son into something blindly. He always did his best to make sure Parker was in the loop as much as possible. He had failed this time, but he was aware of it immediately. The sooner he was aware of it, the sooner he could fix it. He knew what he had to do.

They finished their dinner and Booth stood to pay the bill. "Finish up your milkshake, bub, and we'll head home, okay?" Parker nodded and grabbed the blender cup from across the table. He tipped it backwards and finished it, leaving a brown mustache across his lip. He stood and headed over toward Booth.

"You got a little something just there." Booth rubbed his finger across his own lip, smiling. Parker laughed and used his sleeve to wipe the milkshake from his face. They walked back to the SUV and headed home.


	11. Hashing It Out

Hannah was rummaging around the kitchen when she heard the front door close. She had a couple pots on the stove and was working on dinner when she heard Booth's laughter coming from the living room.

"Hey there tiger, I missed you today." She purred. She turned around to see Booth standing next to Parker, who had his eyebrow raised. Her color changed to red as she turned back around to finish working on their meal.

"Parker, how about you go get on that homework you're not so sure you had." Booth winked at his son and ushered him towards his room.

"I was just making us some dinner; I didn't realize it was your turn with Parker. You just had him." She realized too late that those weren't the words she should've said.

"I'll take Parker anytime I can get him. I don't spend enough time with him as it is." He said angrily. He couldn't believe she would say such a thing. It was as if he was a bother to her.

"Seeley, I didn't mean it in that way, I just thought with our recent engagement we could spend at least one night alone. You know, to celebrate?" She smiled up at him, but he wasn't about to play into her innuendoes.

"He is my family Hannah, and he deserves to be a part of a celebration, not a hindrance." Booth grabbed a beer from the fridge and headed toward the hallway that leads to the bedrooms.

"I made us some dinner. I think there's enough for all of us." She was on the verge of pleading with him.

"My son and I already ate." He called over his shoulder, noticing a red blur out of the corner of his eye. He put his beer bottle on the table in the hall and made his way to Parker's room finding him sitting on his bed reading, and slightly out of breath.

"Eavesdropping?" Booth asked with a slight smirk on his face and his eyebrow raised. Parker kept his head down, but looked up from his book to gauge Booth's reaction. When he noticed the smile on his dad's face he closed his book and nodded.

"She doesn't like me being here, dad." Parker picked up the bean stuffed dinosaur that was lying next to his book. He held it close to his chest with both arms.

"Parks, I never want you to feel like you're not welcome in your own home. This is going to end here and now, understood?" Booth watched Parker nod. "Stay right here and I'll be right back to get you. We're going to talk about all of this." Booth stood and walked toward the door. He made his way back to the kitchen to find Hannah still working on dinner.

"I made macaroni and cheese, your favorite." She barely spoke loud enough for him to hear her, so he knew she knew he was there.

"I already ate, Hannah, but thank you." He wasn't about to tell her it was only Bones' macaroni and cheese that was his favorite. "Listen, we need to talk. All of us. If this is going to work, we all have to air out our grievances." He watched as Hannah sighed heavily and slowly turned around. He noticed the light puffiness and red tinge to her eyes, but he wasn't going to feel sorry for her. He had his son to protect, and if she was going to think of him as a bother, it's better he knew now rather than later.

"I agree, but shouldn't we talk things through before we bring Parker in on anything?" Booth narrowed his eyes. Strike two. This isn't what he thought things were going to be like. He imagined everything going right and everyone being happy. He began to wonder where he misjudged her and he didn't like the feeling.

"No. Absolutely not. He has as much to say on this as we do. This affects his life, too. I don't understand how you can't see that. Or maybe it's that you don't want to. We need for all of us to be on the same page, or I don't see this marriage happening, Hannah. Does that make sense? Is this still something you want?" He watched as she twisted a towel in her hands. She slowly looked up at him and nodded. He motioned for her to make her way into the living room and he called out to Parker. Parker walked in and sat in the arm chair with his dinosaur in tow. He continued to hold it close to him, as a shield.

"Okay, listen. I love you both, and I would love for all of us to be on the same page here. No excuses, no hiding anything. I want it all out right here." He stood in the middle of the living room, in between Parker and Hannah. He looked at Parker holding his dinosaur. Parker was looking up at him nodding. Booth looked over at Hannah who was looking straight ahead into the blank television.

"Hannah, this includes you, ya know? You said you wanted this, do you?" He watched her make eye contact then lean over to look at Parker. She nodded. Booth ran a hand over his head. He wasn't sure who needed to start, and if he was going to, he wasn't sure where.

"Parker, I'm sorry. This hasn't been fair to you. I know me saying I'm not used to kids is an excuse, and while it is true, I haven't really gave you a fair chance. I saw you more as back ground. You weren't here all that often, and I got used to that. I figured a weekend here and there was all I needed to deal with. I do like having you around. You're a real smart kid and you're a lot of fun. I hope we can spend more time together, even one on one, and get to know each other better. What do you think?" She looked at Parker the entire time until her question, when she looked up at Booth. She was really asking his permission but tried to hide it in her statement to Parker. Booth simply nodded his head, taking in everything she had said.

Parker continued to sit in the arm chair, legs folded under him, hugging his dinosaur closer and closer. He listened to Hannah, but didn't feel anything. He knew she was making an effort, but he still didn't like what she was saying. He mainly watched Booth to sense his reactions to everything. Seeing him nod his head, Parker knew his dad was thinking and not just taking everything at face value.

"Yeah, I guess so." Parker shrugged. He looked up at Booth. "Can I go to my room dad; I've got homework to finish."

Booth looked to Hannah and then back at Parker. He sighed heavily. "Is there anything you would like to say, Parks?" He watched Parker shake his head. "Yeah, bub, go ahead. I'll be in in a bit to tuck you in, okay?" Parker nodded and jumped off the chair making sure not to forget his dinosaur.

Booth paced slightly, occasionally running his hand over his head. He was still trying to process everything Hannah had said, and she hadn't said anything or moved a muscle since she finished speaking to Parker. His emotions were clouding his ability to read her and he didn't know what to do. He also thought Parker would give forth some information, and since he didn't, Booth wasn't sure what was going to come of everything.

"Seeley, you're going to wear a hole in that floor if you don't sit down." She made sure to speak softly. She wasn't sure why he was pacing and she didn't want to get him mad. Booth stopped and looked at Hannah. She held his gaze to show that she was trying so he walked over to her and sat on the couch.

"I think I'm just trying too hard to make everything perfect. You don't understand how everything has been with Parker and I. I mean, ask Bones. There have been more times than I can count that I've had to give up visitation because of a case or paperwork, stakeout or going undercover. I never get to see Parker, and that eats away at me every second. Top it off with Rebecca taking him away at her whim when I'm supposed to have him and that leaves us apart all the time. I know you're not used to being around kids, and I know this is an adjustment; I just want my son to be happy. Rebecca is starting to come around, and I think it's because you're here. She sees some sort of stability in me being with someone." Booth blinked back the tears in his realization of how much he'd missed with Parker and exhaustion settling in. He felt that his words sounded harsh, almost that he was using Hannah to gain access to his son, but she needed to know how important Parker was.

"I'll try harder, Seeley. I promise. I guess I never considered it would get this far, so I never gave Parker a second thought. I'm happy with where we are, trust me, I just have to learn how to be in his life." She reached out and placed her hand on his arm to get his attention on her instead of the floor. He looked up at her and smiled half heartedly. He leaned over and kissed her cheek and then got up.

"I'm going to go tuck little man in and talk with him. I'll see you in the morning." He smiled at her and walked down the hallway toward Parker's room.

When he walked into his son's bedroom, he noticed that he was laying in bed, covers over him, sound asleep. A book was over his stomach, still open to his last page. His dinosaur had fallen and was wedged between his nightstand and his bed. He leaned over to get it and placed it under the blankets next to his son's head. The tag that was still attached came open and he noticed the familiar curvy handwriting. He couldn't help but smile. He didn't remember exactly when the stuffed toy appeared, but he knew that since it had, his son has never been without it, and now he knew why.

'I saw how excited you got when you saw this, so I thought you should have it. Love, Bones.'

Booth removed the book from Parker's stomach and placed his skeleton bookmark in between the pages and placed the book on the nightstand. He brushed back Parker's hair and gave him a kiss on his forehead.

"Dad?" Parker shielded his eyes from the light of the lamp next to the bed, but looked up at Booth.

"Hey bub, go on back to sleep, we can talk tomorrow, okay? We'll go to the park and play football and do whatever you want, just you and me, how does that sound?" Parker nodded sleepily as he rolled over and grabbed the dinosaur and hugged it to him. Booth smiled and ruffled his hair. He clicked off the lamp and walked out of Parker's room, closing the door behind him. He saw the light from under his bedroom door and headed in the opposite direction. He grabbed a beer out of the fridge and walked towards the couch. He opened his beer, tossing the cap on the coffee table, took a long swig and sat on the couch and leaned his head back. His phone vibrated in his pocket. Groaning, he leaned to the side to retrieve it. Flipping it open, he read the text and smiled. Tomorrow Parker was going to have a good day.


	12. A Day Out

**Sorry for the delay. After problems uploading the last chapter (sorry for the multiple counts on the same chapter, I added and removed it a bunch trying to get it to stick) I took a break, but I'm back. Also sorry for not replying to reviews. I wasn't getting any emails from the site, but I think that's all fixed now. Thank you for those that are sticking with me on this, and those that are reviewing. **

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Booth woke up to the smell of coffee, a very sore neck, and the tail of a dinosaur in his face. Blinking a few times to get the sleep from his eyes, he sat up from the couch slightly and turned his neck in as many directions it would allow him to go to get the kinks out. He stood up and stretched to get his body to cooperate and adjust from sleeping on the couch and made his way to the dining room where he found Parker drinking a glass of juice and reading a book. He tossed the dinosaur onto the open page of the book and Parker looked up.

"Morning dad. You had a sad look on your face when I woke up so I thought Steggy could keep you company and make you not so sad." Parker smiled at Booth and went back to reading his book. Booth leaned back and peered down the hall noticing his bedroom door open and assumed Hannah was no longer there. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat across from Parker.

"So bub, what do you want to do today? We can go to the arcade, to the movies, anything you want." Booth watched Parker over his coffee cup. Parker slightly moved his head up from his book, but his eyes remained on the page scanning the words until he finished the paragraph he was on. He then took his skeleton bookmark and placed it in the book and closed it.

"What was that dad?"

"I asked you what you wanted to do today, but you had your nose stuck in that book. I guess that means I get to decide." Booth smiled at Parker.

"Hey, that's no fair! You always said my education was very important, so me sitting here reading should be a good thing, which means I should pick where we get to go, how long we get to stay, who comes with us, AND I get to have ice cream." Parker smiled widely at himself. He was hoping Booth didn't pick up on the last part and just paid attention to the important things.

"Ice cream, huh?" Booth smirked down at Parker and walked around the table toward him. He ruffled his hair before refilling his coffee cup. Parker stood and took his empty juice cup to the sink and rinsed it out.

"I want to go to the park, dad. Hodgins told me about this really cool spot that's got loads of awesome bugs that I want to see. He told me I could bring some to him next time I went to the Jeffersonian and he'd tell me what they were. Plus, I just got that really cool kite from Ange." Booth stopped what he was doing and turned toward Parker.

"I'm gonna have to stop bringing you around there, you know that? They're turning you into a squint! Not to mention spoiling you rotten!" Booth laughed at Parker's scowl.

"I'm gonna go get changed. I suggest you do the same, and we'll meet back here in 5, got it?" Parker spoke with a straight face and left the kitchen. Booth just watched his retreating form with his eyebrow raised. Halfway down the hallway, he could hear Parker laughing hysterically. Booth shook his head and turned off the coffee maker. He grabbed his phone from the coffee table and headed toward his room to change. He sent off a text message and headed toward Parker's room. Before he made it to the door handle, the knob turned and Parker exited with his arms full of various jars and a very vibrant kite.

"Whoa bub, need a hand?" Booth took a few of the jars off of Parker and they headed toward the living room. Booth grabbed a plastic bag from under the kitchen sink and set the jars in it.

"Thanks dad. I think we should bring the football and the baseball and gloves, too." Parker's grin hadn't left his face. He loved spending time with his dad, and maybe since they had the whole day to themselves, he could talk to him about his favorite scientist.

"Way ahead of you kiddo. They're always in the truck, just in case." Booth gave Parker a wink and they headed out the door. On the way to the truck, Booth's phone went off. He stopped to read the text message and replied smiling while Parker scampered off to load his things into the SUV. Booth jogged the rest of the way to the truck and got in the driver's side just as Parker was closing the back hatch. He climbed in the back seat and buckled up as Booth started the engine. They made their way to the park as Parker was chattering on and on about the cool bugs he was going to find for Hodgins. Booth took in what he could, but never lost his smile. He loved that the people he cared for the most in his life also cared for his son almost like he was their own. That brought his thoughts to Hannah.

He really needed to fix that situation before it got out of hand. She was the one exception to that statement. She treated Parker like he was some random kid. She probably treated sources better. Then again, sources gave her advancement opportunities. He shook his head to rid the thoughts. Today was his day with his son. He wasn't going to let his mind get in the way of that.

They pulled into the parking lot and got out of the truck. Booth grabbed the football and baseball as well as the gloves and the bag of jars. Parker grabbed his kite and they headed toward a rather secluded area. It was still early enough that not a lot of people were there, so they had prime real estate. They were in the middle of everything. Parker made his way toward the small pond unable to contain his excitement. Booth took the kite from its wrapping and spread it out to get the wrinkles from it. He took the rest of the jars from the bags and set them out so when Parker came back they would be ready. As he was reaching for the football that started to roll away, he felt a familiar hand on his shoulder.

"I brought you boys some food as well as a blanket because I know you always forget one, even though I keep telling you to leave this one in the truck with the football, baseball and gloves." Booth looked up to see Bones tapping her foot slightly but with a full-hearted smile that went way past her eyes.

"Gee Bones, you think of everything, don't you?" Booth smiled up at her and began to stand and take the blanket from her to lay out in front of them. Before he could, she set down her picnic basket and layed the blanket out and began moving the jars and kite to it. Booth started to unpack the picnic basket while Bones sat back on the blanket.

"So where did Parker go? I figured you guys would already be playing or at the very least flying the kite. The wind is pretty good this morning, but it probably won't last." She watched as Booth played with blades of grass, pulling them from the ground then throwing them lightly in the air.

"He went off to find some bugs for Jack. He told him about this pond that we always seem to miss when we're here. I probably should've brought him a change of clothes now that I think about it." Booth smiled and shrugged.

"BONES!" Booth and Bones' heads shot up and they saw Parker running full force toward them, carrying a couple jars in his pumping fists. He stopped just short of the blanket and nearly threw the jars down and gave her a hug.

"Dad didn't tell me you were coming!" Parker looked accusingly at Booth, but kept his smile on his face. Booth saw the temporary look of guilt on Bones' face, but he stopped her before she could say anything.

"I wanted it to be a surprise, bub. Surprised?" Booth laughed as Parker nodded his head forcefully, unable to curb his excitement.

"Do you want to fly the kite with me Bones? I gotta go back to get the other bugs in fresh jars, but I'll be right back and we can fly. This is awesome!" Parker didn't even let Bones answer him and he had empty jars in his hands and took off back toward the pond.

"I don't want to intrud-"

"Don't even think about finishing that sentence, Bones. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that you NEVER intrude on my time with Parker. If I thought it was an intrusion I wouldn't have suggested the picnic basket." He gave her a smile and nudged her with his elbow. She visibly settled and started to smile again.

"I would figure you would have Hannah here with you today." She saw Booth flinch slightly and she cocked her head to the side.

"She's working. Besides, I don't think this is really her thing." She saw him take a deep breath and look skyward.

"Are you having second thoughts about the proposal, Booth?" He heard the sincerity in her voice and saw the concern in her eyes. His heart smiled at her reaching out and reading him as well as she did. He took a deep breath.

"Not necessarily second thoughts. I guess I just didn't think everything through. I think I maybe figured that Hannah and Parker would get along great and it would all just come together. I didn't really think we would have to work at it."

"Parker and I had to work to get to where we are, Booth. You should probably just give it time." She gave him a small smile. She really wanted him to be happy. Booth looked at her questioningly.

"You two were great right from the start, Bones. You can't deny that. You may think differently, but I saw it. You guys bonded instantly. All that talk of how you aren't good with children," he pointed toward the pond and Parker, "That boy loved you the minute he met you, and I'm willing to bet you loved him just the same." He smiled as he watched Bones look at Parker as a smile graced her lips. She turned back toward Booth.

"If this is something you really want, Booth, then you need to make sure Parker is going to be okay with it all. He can't just be an accessory to it. If they can't get along with each other, then you have to do what's right and step away from everything. As much as I want to see you happy, I don't think you should put your happiness ahead of Parker's." She watched for any change in his expression. She watched his smile fade and she waited for the anger she expected to come next, but it never did.

"You're perfectly right Bones, as usual." He sighed. She cocked her head to the side and looked at him curiously.

"I would think that would've angered you. What is all this really about?" Booth looked over at Bones and his eyes softened. He couldn't believe how amazing she was at making sure he and his son were taken care of, even if it meant her happiness was on the back burner. He layed back on the blanket and stared at the clouds. He took a deep breath and rolled to lay on his side, propping up on his forearm.

"I don't like the idea of quitting something like this. I can't really quit at the first sign of resistance, but I guess I didn't expect resistance so I don't know what to do. I do know one thing for sure, though. This wedding will not happen if all my ducks aren't in a row. What kind of a father would I be if I let that happen?"

"You're a wonderful father, Booth. Parker knows that. You and he need to talk about how he feels about this wedding and Hannah and how life is going to change. You and Hannah need to do the same. If you aren't completely honest with each other, then someone is going to be unhappy with the situation eventually." She watched as his eyes lowered to the blanket, then out toward the pond at Parker. He raised his head slightly and smiled at her.

"Bones, you are something else, ya know that?" He placed his hand on her knee and began to sit up. "What say you and I start having some fun while squint junior over there plays with his bugs" He winked at her and grabbed the baseball and gloves. He tossed her the smaller of the two gloves and began walking toward the tree line. She walked into the opposite direction while placing the glove on her hand with a smile on her face. They began tossing the ball back and forth waiting for Parker to come out of the pond. When Parker saw them tossing the ball, he decided he could find more bugs later. He put the lids on the jars he had and ran back toward the blanket.

"Hey Parks, look in the picnic basket" Bones shouted to him. He opened the basket and looked back at Bones with a wide smile and eyes that could light up world. He looked back down and grabbed the brand new baseball glove from inside. He put it on his hand and began forming it and pounding it. He looked to Booth who winked at him and smiled. He looked down as he walked away from the blanket so as to not step on any jars when he noticed Booth's cell phone. Flashing on the screen were the words 'Hannah: call ended' and he wondered when the phone call was made. He had been watching them since he ran off the second time, and there was not a single time Booth was on the phone. He tossed the phone down and ran off to continue the game of catch between the two adults. He would worry about the phone later.


	13. Thinking It Through

When Hannah woke up, she kept her eyes closed and slowly reached to the other side of the bed, and felt nothing but cold sheets. She sighed heavily and turned her head. She slowly opened her eyes and noticed that the door was still the way she left it, and there was no indent on the pillow. She sat up and stretched, then made her way out the door toward the kitchen to make coffee. Hannah walked past Parker's room and headed straight for the couch. As much as she wanted to be angry that he never came to bed, she placed a blanket over Booth's sleeping form, kissed her fingers and placed them on his forehead. She resumed her task at making coffee and then returned to the bedroom to take a shower. The second she was ready, she poured coffee into her travel mug and headed out the door.

During the drive to work, she thought over all of the things that happened the night before. She tried to lay out all of the things she knew before either of them came back from Afghanistan, and she had trouble remembering if he ever mentioned his son. She shook her head at the thought. There was a no way a man like Seeley Booth hadn't mentioned Parker. She distinctly remembered him talking about Temperance, though she lost count at the amount of times. She knew he had to have mentioned Parker, and she chastised herself for not paying attention when he talked about him. She never thought they would get this far, thinking they were a fling and nothing more would come from it, and that was how she was able to walk into work with a smile on her face.

Every time she sat at her computer and started to compose the story she was working on, she kept finding herself glancing at her phone more than her computer screen. She knew Booth would be awake soon, and she knew he would know she was already gone, so it was only a matter of time until he would call her to apologize. If Seeley Booth was anything, he was an understanding and forgiving man. It may take him some time to cool off, but eventually he would come around. She knew she was partially at fault, but she rationalized that he knew even before he came back from Afghanistan that she wasn't a person to have kids. She swore she wasn't marriage material, either, but there was no way she could resist having him take care of her. One thing that made her wonder and worry was 'Bones', but since they were back in the states, he talked about her less and less, and they very rarely talked. At least compared to what he said they were like, and until recently.

She couldn't help but relive his words before he proposed. The look in his eyes when he described his relationship with Temperance was something she had never seen when he spoke to her or of her. She felt a pang of jealousy watching his eyes light up when he spoke of her and the underlying explanation of his relationship with Bones. She did her best to lighten her heart and tell him that she understood, because in truth, she did. It wasn't as if he ever kept her a secret, but she had thought after those several months she would have helped him rid Temperance from his memories and make him look at her in the way he saw Bones.

Hannah stood from her desk and went to refill her coffee. She needed to shake everything out and get a fresh perspective to be able to accomplish the work that needed to be done. She spent far too long that morning worrying about Temperance, Parker, and Booth. Work had to take priority. When she went back to her office the first thing she went for was her phone, but she stopped herself short at glancing at the screen to see if Booth had called. She tossed it in the second drawer of her desk and closed it tight. She then thought better of work and decided to browse some wedding sites that Booth had gotten from Angela that had been personalized for them. If she were completely honest with herself, she would've declined the help knowing how Angela felt about Booth and Bones. When she spoke to Angela, she could hear the disappointment in her voice and knew that she was not completely into it, but was only doing it as a favor. Still, if only half of her heart was into it, she couldn't imagine what Angela would come up with if she was all in. Everything that she found was elegant but not too pricey, beautiful but understated. In all honesty Hannah wasn't really into a big wedding, but she knew how traditional Booth was, so she decided that whatever he wanted, he would get.

Her phone buzzed in her desk drawer and it took all she had not to pounce on the first ring. She opened her drawer and watched the phone vibrate through to its third ring and then picked it up. She settled in her chair and leaned back, propping her feet on her desk. She was about to say something when she heard Booth in mid conversation. At first she assumed he was at work and wasn't aware that she had picked up the phone yet until she listened a little bit closer:

"_I don't like the idea of quitting something like this. I can't really quit at the first sign of resistance, but I guess I didn't expect resistance so I don't know what to do. I do know one thing for sure, though. This wedding will not happen if all my ducks aren't in a row. What kind of a father would I be if I let that happen?"_

"_You're a wonderful father, Booth. Parker knows that. You and he need to talk about how he feels about this wedding and Hannah and how life is going to change. You and Hannah need to do the same. If you aren't completely honest with each other, then someone is going to be unhappy with the situation eventually."_

"_Bones, you are something else, ya know that? What say you and I start having some fun while squint junior over there plays with his bugs?"_

She listened a little longer for any clue as to what they were doing. She heard some rustling, but couldn't make out what it was. She heard some glass clink together and she heard Temperance's voice from a distance, but couldn't make out what was said. She finally hung up. She didn't want to hear anymore because her imagination was already going a mile a minute. She sat up in her chair and planted her feet to the floor. Placing the phone on her desk, she stood up slowly and grabbed her coffee cup. As if in a trance, she walked to the coffee maker and filled her cup. She watched people moving all around her talking, but couldn't hear what they were saying. She wasn't even sure if they were talking to her. She headed back into her office and sat down.

Taking a few deep breaths, Hannah tried to hear the conversation for what it was. She wanted to believe that Temperance wouldn't go behind her back, so tried to remember the tone in her voice. The more she thought about it, the more Temperance sounded genuine in her concern. She wasn't trying to put Booth against her; she was trying to make sure he was making the right decision for himself and his son. Then she replayed his third sentence. The more she thought about the wedding not happening, the more she started to panic. She had to start paying better attention to Parker, otherwise she was going to lose Booth, and that was something she wasn't willing to let happen. She didn't want to think what 'fun' they were having, so she thought instead how to win the boy's affection. She saw how attached he was to the dinosaur he carried around everywhere, so she figured that might be a step in the right direction.

She stared once again at her computer screen and realized that work was just not going to happen, so she put the things she needed on her thumb drive and shut down her computer. She figured she would have better luck writing her story at home. At least there she would see Booth, and know that he was no longer with Temperance. With that thought, she let a smile finally grace her lips and began to pack up her things. She turned off her desk lamp, grabbed her cell phone and threw it in her bag, which she then placed over her shoulder. She walked toward the door and shut her light off and left the office without a word to anyone. Though she kept the smile on her face, she didn't trust herself to speak; for fear that her voice was not entirely strong enough. When she reached her car, she let out a breath that she was unaware she was holding. She stood at her car and let the slight wind blow through her hair, hoping it would take away her anxiety over the phone call she never wished she received.

She made her way through the streets of D.C., stopping only to buy a toy for Parker. She kept her windows down to continue to feel the breeze. She arrived home and sat in her car for a while, seeing that Booth was home. She was sure he had no idea that his phone had called her, and she wasn't sure the way to bring it up. She knew Parker was with him, and she didn't want to cause a fight while he was around. She had to start making things easier for Parker; otherwise she would lose Booth forever. She watched movement in the apartment from the window in the kitchen and noticed the time. She knew Booth was probably making dinner, but she had no idea what Parker would be doing. She grabbed her bag and Parker's toy and headed for the front door. She took a deep breath before opening the door. All the while she was unaware of the watching eyes from behind the curtain a few windows over.


	14. Talking It Through

**A/N: I am finally able to respond to reviews, so to those of you I haven't responded, I just want to say thank you. They mean a lot! I lost a little momentum on this, but I think I got it back. Thank you for your patience!**

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"Can we go to the diner for milkshakes, dad?" Parker called across the gap that was between them while throwing the ball to Bones.

"What about your kite, bub? Don't you want to fly it?" Booth caught the ball from Bones and threw a pop fly for Parker. With his eyes going wide, Parker decided to go for flair and let the ball fall as close to the ground as he could, and with a slight somersault caught it and jumped in the air.

"I totally forgot! Bones, can we?" He dropped both the ball and the glove and raced toward the blanket to grab the kite. Bones and Booth jogged up to the blanket at the same time, Bones picking up Parker's glove and ball on the way. She tossed the items toward the picnic basket and helped Parker with the lines.

"Booth, I need to you take the kite and walk out a little ways so we can get some air." She finished rewrapping the kite string and stood behind Parker with her arms over his.

"Alright Parks, you ready?" She waited for his nod before she called out to Booth to toss the kite in the air. It took three tries before the wind picked up enough to push the kite higher in the air. As it did, Booth headed back over to where they were standing. He watched as Bones was lightening her grip on the lines and was talking to Parker. He couldn't help the smile that dominated his face. After only a couple more minutes, she had completely let go and was standing next to Booth watching Parker fly on his own, the same smile on her face.

"Dad, this is so awesome! Look how high I've got it!" Parker kept taking glances from the kite to the two adults with a radiant smile. Without saying a word, Booth and Bones walked over toward the boy and smiled at each other. After all three took turns flying the kite, the brought it in and Parker began collecting his bug jars while Booth cleaned up the food and Bones shook out the blanket and folded it. They made their way back to the SUV, Parker walking backwards and talking about the bugs he collected and how he couldn't wait to show them to Jack.

When they got to the parking lot, Parker glanced between the SUV and Bones' car.

"Go ahead bub. It's okay with me if it's okay with Bones." Booth watched the look of shock on Bones' face and he gave her a warm smile. She mirrored one back and told Parker to get in. Booth gave her a wink before he got into his truck and started the engine.

"Hurry up Bones! Dad's gonna beat us there!" Parker all but jumped from his seat as she started her car and headed out of the parking lot.

"Not on my watch he won't, Parks!" She smiled at him through the rearview mirror and pointed her car in the opposite direction of Booth's. She felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and she glanced at it. She smiled to herself as they made their way to the diner.

_**You better not be taking the shortcut! You know I'll still win!**_  
_**Yours,** **B**_

As she pulled in front of the diner, she noticed Booth's SUV parked up the block a little ways. She then looked into the diner and noticed their usual table empty. She smiled to herself as she opened the back door for Parker to get out.

"HA! You're awesome Bones! We beat dad here!" He then ran toward the door and opened it for her. He followed behind her and sat next to her, with their backs toward the door. A few seconds later Booth walked up and sat across from Bones, chocolate milkshake in hand and smiled at Parker.

"Hey! No fair dad!" Parker reached across the table and tried to grab hold of the glass but Booth held it just out of his reach.

"Alright boys, don't make me take it away from both of you!" She smiled at Booth and he relented, allowing the boy to take the cup. Within seconds their food arrived and Parker raised his hand to his head.

"Brainfreeze! Ugh! Wait a second, we didn't even order." Parker kept his hand to his forehead as he watched his father and Bones.

"I called it in on my way here" Booth winked over at Bones and she smiled. She knew he arrived before them and had already ordered. She knew he headed back out to his truck to wait them out. She also knew she was going to have to cover for him when he went out to move the truck.

"Sure ya did." Parker looked at Booth with an eyebrow raised as he started eating his french fries. A moment later the skepticism was gone and the three of them were laughing together. While Parker was distracted with his food, Brennan took her phone from her pocket and touched the number one. Parker lifted his head when he heard Booth's phone ring. Booth looked at the screen and tried to hide his smile.

"I gotta take this. Be right back Parks." He snagged a fry and headed out the door and Brennan closed her phone to end the call. She set her phone on the table top and reached over and took a fry from Parker's plate.

"Hey! Take dad's, not mine! I'm a growing boy!" He smiled as she took a fry from Booth's plate and placed it on Parker's.

"There, I replaced it." She smiled at him as her phone vibrated near the window. She opened it and her smile got a little bigger. She then closed it quickly, noticing that Parker was paying less attention to his food. The minute she snapped her phone shut, he grabbed his burger and took a huge bite, hiding the fact he was trying to snoop. She ruffled his hair and resumed taking fries off of Booth's plate, alternating bites of her salad.

"Easy there bud, you'd think you haven't eaten all day stuffing your face like that!" Booth smiled at him and snagged a fry off of his plate.

"He did just state to me that he's a growing boy, I'd let him eat, Booth." She watched Booth's expression as her phone went off again, this time indicating someone was calling. She gave Booth an apologetic look and answered. After a couple head nods and some thank-you's she closed her phone.

"Looks like I gotta head to the lab. Wendell is having some issues with bone casts and he needs my help." She watched Booth smile, but it never reached his eyes.

"Can we come, too! I can show Jack the cool bugs I found!" Parker almost choked trying to swallow what he had in his mouth in order to speak.

"Sorry bub, not this time. Maybe tomorrow, okay? You have homework you need to finish." Booth watched Parker slump in his chair and push away his plate.

"If you get all your homework done tonight, Parks, you can come by the lab and we can start working on the bones in your leg and you can have Hodgins all you want." Bones looked over at Booth for confirmation but kept facing Parker. He sighed heavily.

"Okay, I guess. But tomorrow I get to be at the lab!" Parker then grabbed his plate and began eating again.

"Finish eating bud, I'm gonna walk Bones to her car." Receiving a nod Booth held his arm out for Brennan to walk in front of him, and he placed his hand at the small of her back and guided her out the door and toward her car.

"Thanks for today, Bones. I know Parker had a good time. I did, too. And listen, if you guys are busy tomor-"

"Like you always say, Booth, I wouldn't have suggested it if we were busy." She reached out and grabbed his hand to convey her sincerity then got into her car. As he turned around she called back to him.

"Booth, I had a good time, too." She put the car in gear and headed off. Booth let a smile linger on his face as he headed back into the diner to get Parker and pay the bill.

"I wish we could hang out with Bones all the time, dad." Parker was finishing his fries when Booth sat back down.

"I know you like her a lot, bub. I do too, but Bones has her own life. And what about Hannah?" Booth was quick to notice the sadness on Parker's face, even though the boy tried to hide it.

"Can we go home dad, I want to work on my homework so I can go to the lab tomorrow." Parker was picking up and stacking their plates to make it easier for their waitress. Booth watched his son and nodded.

"Just let me go ahead and pay, and we can go. But we're not done talking about this, okay? This is serious. And it's important." Booth stood and walked to the cash register to pay while Parker continued his clean up. After he was satisfied that they didn't leave too big a mess, he made his way over to his father and they headed out the door. The ride home was in silence. Booth was giving Parker the space they both seemed to need. Before the truck even stopped moving, Parker took off his seatbelt and was starting to open the door, eager to get inside and to hopefully avoid the conversation he knew was inevitable. Before he could make it halfway to the front door, Booth stopped him.

"Parks, wait up a second. What's the hurry?" He watched Parker stop, but he didn't turn. He stood still, waiting for Booth to catch up.

"Dad, I just…I don't really…" Booth placed his arm around his son and they walked into the apartment together. Booth knew things were going to be harder on Parker, but he figured he would adjust. He thought Parker would be resilient, but this was proving more difficult. Booth unlocked the door and Parker ran toward his bedroom.

"Parks, come on. We need to talk!" He watched as the boy continued on to his room only to hear him yell back.

"Dad, I know. Just give me a second!" Not a second later he emerged holding his beloved dinosaur. He took off his sneakers and tossed them by the front door and headed to the arm chair. Once he climbed up he got himself comfortable and looked pointedly at Booth. He took a deep breath.

"I know what you want to hear, dad, but I'm not so sure I can say it. I'm pretty sure Hannah doesn't like me being around. She said so herself that I'm just in the background. She doesn't think about things I like, she hardly talks to me, and the times that she does it's always about her. Even Captain Fantastic considered me in everything he and mom did. It kinda got annoying after a while, but still." There was more he wanted to say, but he felt he should hold back, at least until her heard what his dad had to say. Booth kneeled in front of Parker and made sure their eyes were locked.

"Listen Parks, I know this is hard. I'm sorry I didn't talk to you about this first. I know I should have. That was my mistake. This decision affects you in every way imaginable, so you say the word, and the wedding is off. Just like that. However, I do expect you to at least try, and before you say anything, Hannah and I are going to have a talk and she's going to understand that you are a part of me and a part of this decision. If I see for any reason that she can't handle that, then I will make the call myself. But you've got to start talking to me, bub. We can't fix things until we know what's broken." He stopped talking as he watched Parker nod his head and take in what was just said. Parker sat for a minute longer before wrapping his arms around his father's neck, his dinosaur never leaving his grip. He leaned back, but kept contact with Booth.

"I'm sorry dad. I want you to be happy, but I want to feel at home when I'm here. I like that mom is letting me come over more, and I don't want that to go away. I love spending time with you and Bones. I'll try with Hannah, I promise. I'm going to go work on my homework so tomorrow I can show Jack the cool bugs I got." With another hug, Parker was up and heading toward his room. He noticed headlights on the wall and he knew someone pulled into the apartment complex. He used his index finger and pushed a small opening in the curtains. He saw Hannah's car park and he watched her stare at the kitchen window. He wondered why she was sitting in the car and not coming in. He decided he really did need to work on his homework, so he went to move away from the window when he saw Hannah get out of her car. He noticed she had a bag and what looked like a cheap dinosaur toy. He laughed to himself as he grabbed his stuffed dinosaur and headed for his desk, all the while making sure his door was open just enough for him to hear what was going to be going on when she walked in the door.


	15. Going All Reporter

She opened the door as quietly as she could and put her bag on the coat rack. She kept the dinosaur in hand as she headed into the kitchen, a frown on her face. She didn't smell anything when she walked in the front door, and judging by the state of the now clean kitchen, she guessed that Booth didn't even cook. She rummaged through the fridge to grab a beer and to make a mental note to order in after she got settled. She told herself she would ask about his day, but not pry. She would leave it up to him if he was going to tell her the truth or not. She would then assess their conversation and take from there whether things really were going to be okay between them. She walked into the living room where she found Booth watching a basketball game. She set the dinosaur on the table and sat on the couch with him.

"Hey Hannah." He took a swig of his beer and his face never left the screen. This was not going well.

"Hey Seeley. Did you guys already eat, cause I was going to order in." He nodded his head. She closed her eyes and sighed. She wasn't really that hungry anymore, so she decided against ordering in and waited out the game. Luckily it was almost over, so she stood and decided a shower would help keep her emotions in check. She picked up the dinosaur and headed toward Booth's room when she noticed Parker's door slightly opened. She gave a small knock and waited for Parker to answer.

"It's open." He knew it was Hannah, and he knew what she was doing. He took a deep breath to calm himself and to start on the promise he made to his father.

"Hey Parker, you doing some homework there?" She figured going with the obvious would be an ice breaker.

"Yeah, I need to finish tonight so I don't have to do it tomorrow." He looked up at her when he talked to her and found himself slightly annoyed, though he couldn't place why. She held out the toy to him.

"While I was out, I ran across this and thought it could go with your collection." She wanted to fidget, but stopped herself. Parker did his best to hold in a laugh. He let the smile grace his lips, but prevented the sound from ever leaving his throat.

"Thanks Hannah." He took the dinosaur and set it on his desk, not really knowing what to do with it. He then looked to the papers on his desk and looked back at her.

"I'll leave you alone now; I just wanted to give that to you." She smiled and headed out of his room, closing the door behind her. He waited until he heard another door close before he got up and opened his door back again. He sat back down, glancing at the dinosaur and laughed to himself, shaking his head. He put it on a shelf away from the rest of his dinosaurs.

Bones was making him a collection, whether she knew it or not, and he couldn't have that toy associated with the cool dinosaurs he always received from Bones. Whether it was his birthday, a holiday, or when he was sick, it never failed that a new stuffed dinosaur would be given to him. She spaced them out evenly enough so Booth wouldn't get mad at her spoiling him, but he was sure she didn't even know she was doing it. The most important one in the collection was the one he carried everywhere. It was the one she gave him when he saw her for the first time since she came back from the Maluku islands. She told him that she missed him very much, and had bought it for him before she left, but never got the chance to give it to him.

Hannah took a hot shower and let the water carry away the anger and sadness she was feeling. She wanted to just break down and cry and admit defeat, but she knew she had to have imagined things a lot worse than they were. She just hoped he would tell her the truth, because she really wasn't sure she was strong enough to walk away if he was going to lie to her. She finished her shower and got into some comfortable clothes and headed back out to the living room, on the way noticing that Parker's door was open a crack. She crawled onto the couch a full cushion away from Booth and tucked her legs underneath her. She waited patiently for him to notice her return. She followed his eyes to the TV and noticed that the game had gone into overtime. When she looked back at him, she saw he was looking at her.

"Hey." She tried a smile at him, and she could tell he noticed it wasn't real.

"Hey yourself." He gave her a full smile and started to scoot closer to her on the couch. She refused to meet him half way, so she waited until he was right beside her, or rather in front of her since she was sitting sideways. He leaned in and gave her a kiss. She only half-heartedly responded.

"How was your day?" He absent mindedly ran his hand up and down her arm. She took a few hidden deep breaths to stop herself from relaxing at his touch. She needed answers before she could allow herself to be swayed by his charm. She only hoped the outcome of her question would be in her favor.

"Uneventful. How was your day?" She hoped her answer was enough to keep him satisfied so he would hurry up and get to her question.

"It was a really good day." She watched as his smile took over his face. She felt sick.

"What did you and Parker do?" She tried her hardest to be as small as she could. She hugged her arms around herself and put as much distance between her and Booth as possible. That proved hard because he was sitting a little on the same cushion as she was.

"I took him to the park. Hodgins is turning that boy into a squint! He told him about this pond that's out there and Parker just had to catch some bugs so the next time I take him to the Jeffersonian he can show Hodgins. Then we played catch with Bones and flew the kite Ange got him. We went to the diner and now we're here." He could tell she was being standoffish so he leaned away from her slightly to give her space. He noticed she was relaxing some as he recounted his day, but he was going to let her make the next move for affection.

"So, Temperance was there." It was a statement. She tried her hardest to keep the jealousy from making her voice change, but she could tell by the look on Booth's face that it didn't work. She hated herself for it, but she couldn't help the feeling.

"Yeah, I invited her last minute. Parker misses her and he's been doing really good in school, and a lot of that has to do with Bones. He's been talking about her a lot and I think he's seen her once since we all got back. He needs some normalcy, and Bones is that for him." He tried to read her, but he saw nothing he could pinpoint. She simply nodded. She wasn't sure what she was feeling. She knew it could go one of two ways, but she wasn't expecting to feel the same after receiving his truthfulness. Then she began to wonder if he would have told her about Temperance if she hadn't asked.

"I'm glad you had a good time." She made sure her voice was stronger that time, but judging by the look on his face, he wasn't buying it. She started to uncurl her legs from under her to stand up. He stopped her.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait a minute. What's going on Han?" He pulled her back towards him and she pulled away, though she remained on the couch. She took a deep breath.

"It just would've been nice to have been invited, that's all. You want your son and I to bond so bad, but the first time you actually don't have a case or paper work or something and you take Parker out, I'm sitting at the office like a fool while you spend the day with your partner. That just seems like something we should be doing, Seeley. That's what families do." She hadn't meant for everything to come out all at once, and she really wanted to keep her emotions in check, but it kind of felt good to get it all out, and once she started, she couldn't stop.

"What are you talking about? When I got up, you were already gone for work. I didn't even know where I was taking Parker. He hadn't decided until this morning. If you didn't have anything to do at work, you could've called and I would've told you where we were!" He was starting to get agitated at her for making him feel like he intentionally left her out. He unconsciously scooted away from her slowly.

"I wouldn't have wanted to interrupt the 'fun' you and Temperance were having." She held his gaze to watch for any signs on guilt.

"And what is THAT supposed to mean?" He was in a rather good mood until she brought up his partner. And now that she's insinuating that something happened between them, he was no longer in such a mood.

"It means you enjoy spending time with your partner a lot more than you do your fiancé. You seem to tell her things you should be telling me. And you open up to her so much easier than you do with me. When's the last time we talked about anything real? We haven't even really got to celebrate our engagement and you're already talking about it not happening if all your ducks aren't in a row. Don't you think you should be telling ME that?" She was standing by now, looking down on him still sitting on the couch. True, she got the response she was looking for by him telling the truth, but she got herself worked up because he hadn't volunteered that information for himself. She had to go all reporter on him and fish the answer out. He sat there blinking at her, unable to make any words come out of his mouth. He was kind of on track with what she was saying, he was just wondering how she knew he had said it.

"Whatever you think you know, you don't. Where did you even hear me say that?" He wasn't denying it; he just needed to know what she knew and how she knew it.

"Your phone apparently called me today. I heard what you said to Temperance, and then you two apparently scampered off to have some 'fun'". He could hear the disgust in her voice when she said 'fun' and he knew she was making her own assumptions.

"On one hand, you're jumping to conclusions. On the other hand, you're partially right. I should've come to you with our issues, but you cannot honestly stand there and tell me you really think Bones and I are having an affair. I've told you a million times, we are nothing more than friends, partners. I talked to you about Bones before I even proposed, and you said you understood. Now you're throwing my relationship with her in my face?" He stood. He had to be at her level. He wasn't about to let her think she had the upper hand. He was torn. At this moment, he would've walked out before either of them said something they would've regretted. He was in no place to leave, because he had Parker, and there was no way he was leaving Parker with Hannah. He didn't want to take Parker with him because he didn't need the boy to see him all worked up and if he was honest with himself, he didn't know where he would end up. His only two options were to make Hannah leave or just stay and brood. He opted for helping Parker with his homework, but before he could move Hannah was making her way to the bedroom.

He hoped she would come back out and leave on her own accord so he could actually sleep in his own bed, but as he watched the end of the game, which went into double overtime, she never came back. He found it very selfish of her and he was not happy. After all, this was HIS house. He had to sleep on his own couch because there was no way he was crawling back to her. He was not going to budge. He heard movement before he saw it out of the corner of his eye.

"Did you finish your homework, bub?" He then watched as Parker walked around the back of the couch and climbed up next to his father, dinosaur in tow.

"All done dad. You okay?" Booth knew his son had to have heard what was going on, and he hated that the boy had to witness it. Booth turned toward Parker and smiled a genuine smile at him.

"Yeah buddy, everything is okay. Just a little miscommunication is all." Booth did his best to convey his sincerity, but he knew Parker wasn't buying it.

"We don't have to go to the lab tomorrow. It can wait until another time. Maybe after school or something. The bugs will still be alive." Parker couldn't mask the sadness in his eyes, but made sure to keep his voice steady.

"Hey, I made you a promise, and I'm keeping it. You finished up all your homework, so you get to go to the lab and play with bugs with Hodgins. A deal is a deal. Now, how about we get up extra early and get some pancakes at the diner before we head over to the lab, huh? Sound like a plan?" He watched Parker nod his head excitedly and he stood up and motioned for Parker to do the same. They walked into Parker's room and the boy climbed into bed, making sure that his dinosaur was right by his side. Booth gave him a kiss goodnight and turned off the light to the room, allowing Parker to keep his bedside lamp on so he could read. He pulled the door mostly closed behind him and glanced down the hallway toward his room. He shook his head and walked back over to the couch. He resisted the urge to pull out his phone and seek comfort in his best friend as Hannah's words ran through his head.

She walked away because she saw his inner turmoil. She knew he wasn't going to leave, and that left the bedroom as the only place he could retreat. She decided to take it upon herself to head that way. She figured it would force them to talk, once they were both cooled down enough. She left the door half open as an invitation, but as she heard muffled voices, and then footsteps moving away from the hallway, she knew she was spending another lonely night in his bed. She knew by morning they would be able to talk, and that gave her the comfort to fall into a restful sleep.


	16. Confrontation of Sorts

He showered in the guest bathroom and walked on cat's feet to get clothes out of his room. All he had to do was finish getting ready and grab Parker and they could leave unscathed. He wanted to make sure Parker's last day with him didn't have any issues. He would deal with Hannah when he knew they could actually hash it out. He brushed his teeth, tapped Parker's door and grabbed his wallet and phone and waited for his son.

Parker wasn't naturally an early riser, but he knew by his dad saying they were going to get pancakes at the diner that he wanted to be out the door before Hannah was up. For that he was glad. He made sure to get up and get ready early, as well as have all the jars accessible so all he had to do was put them in a bag and they could walk out the door. He heard Booth moving around the living room and got the bags he needed for his bug jars. They wordlessly gathered the required things and Booth ushered his son out the door. As Booth was closing and locking his apartment door, he heard his bedroom door slightly slam. He winced, but brushed it off. He focused on Parker as they made their way to the SUV and then the diner.

"Dad, can I have a bowl of fruit and some oatmeal instead?" Parker wanted to make sure they didn't order the usual before he could ask for the change.

"Sure bub, but what happened to pancakes?" Booth had a sneaking suspicion as to who gave him the idea, but wanted to see what his son came up with.

"It's what Bones has for breakfast sometimes, and she says it's real healthy and that it gives you a load of energy, and I just wanted to try something new." Booth couldn't hide his smile if he wanted to. He motioned for the waitress and gave his order are she brought more coffee. The two sat in companionable silence, as only father and son can. The boy was slightly kicking his legs against his chair, looking out the window, watching the goings on of the city. The man watching his son and sitting in thought. Both were far too self-involved to notice the woman approaching.

She walked in the door not five minutes after them. She took a seat at the counter; close enough to hear their conversation, yet far enough not to be noticed. From the corner of her eye, she could see the boy trying to curb his excitement. The man, even being only able to see his back, she could tell was pensive. The way he cocked his head just slightly to the right and the way he tapped just his thumb of his left hand. She set money on the counter, made eye contact with the waitress and slightly nodded in the direction of the table they were sitting at. As she stood, she noticed the boy's eyes leave the window and find their way to her. They widened tremendously and she had just enough time to place her hands over Booth's eyes.

"Hey bub, what's wr-" He felt warm hands placed over his eyes and couldn't help but smile.

"Bones, are you stalking us? I mean, I don't blame you, but I could arrest you, ya know?" He brought his hands up to cover hers and all at the same time, he slid over to the chair to his right and brought her to sit in the chair he vacated, all the while his hands remained on hers. When he was sure she was seated, he released her hands, turned slightly toward her, placed his left arm over the back of her chair and with his right, offered her his coffee.

"I'm not stalking you, Booth. I simply deduced that Parker would finish his homework, which meant he would get to come to the lab today. Plus, it's your last day with him, and you always bring him to the diner for pancakes on your last morning with him." She took his coffee cup from him and drank slowly.

"Nope, I'm sticking with stalking. Besides, all that stuff you just said, it just proves my point!" He gave Parker a little wink as he leaned back against the window. Bones simply hid her smile behind his coffee cup as the waitress brought their food. She gave Booth his pancakes and bacon and set down matching sets of bowls filled with oatmeal and fruit in front of Parker and Bones. Parker beamed when he saw Bones had the same thing he had and stuck his tongue out at Booth. Booth waited patiently to see if Parker would indeed eat his food without complaint.

"Dad, this is really good!" Parker began swirling his spoon through his oatmeal. Booth had to hand it to him, if he didn't like it, he sure didn't show it. The more Booth watched his son, the more he figured the boy was actually enjoying his new breakfast. He turned his attention to Bones, who was quietly eating her breakfast trying, and failing, to hide a smile at Parker. The three spoke very little to one another, but really had no need to do otherwise as they were so comfortable with each other. Knowing the group at the table from countless encounters, the waitress left them to their meal, stopping by only to drop off a fresh pot of coffee and another glass of chocolate milk. Toward the end of the meal, Parker could no longer keep still. He had kept his excitement over going to the lab as contained as possible for a child and he couldn't take it anymore. He began to fidget.

"Parker, would you be still, you're shaking the whole table, bub!" Booth was about to reach under the table to place a hand over Parker's leg, but before he could, a cool, soft hand placed itself on his.

"It's fine, Booth. Parker's just excited. He collected a lot of bugs, and he's ready to show them to Jack." Booth narrowed his eyes at her and then turned to Parker.

"I think you've turned Bones into a big ol' softy, buddy." He nudged Bones and finished eating his breakfast. Parker began piling his bowls together, anticipating their leaving. Booth was still drinking coffee when Bones finished her meal.

"I'm going to go ahead and go to the lab and make sure Hodgins knows Parker is coming with bugs for him." Booth nodded but he saw Parker bouncing in his seat.

"We will be right behind you." Booth saw the slight frown on Parker's face and before he could address it, Bones did.

"I can take him with me, Booth. He is obviously ready to go. It is no trouble." She gave him a smile and he relented.

"Yup, big ol' softy. Alright, I will see you guys there." He gave them a smile and went back to his toast. It wasn't five minutes when someone sat across from him and stole his last piece of bacon.

"What do you think you're doing?" He followed the hand with a slight scowl and it lessened when he saw who it and the voice belonged to.

"I think I'm finishing my breakfast. What do you think you're doing, Ange? That was my last piece of bacon!"

"Don't play dumb with me. What are you doing with Bren? Coming around all the time, having her interact with Parker. Guiding her with your hand on the small of her back, do not think we don't see that. Do you not care about her anymore?" He was smiling slightly, but it was fading the more the words soaked in.

"To start with, she met us here; I didn't call her. And second, what are you talking about? Of course I care about her! And Parker likes spending time with Bones; I don't force him on her." He was becoming confused.

"It's bad enough you're with Hannah and that she has to see it, it's even worse that you're acting like you did before you went your separate ways. She isn't about to tell you to back the hell off, but I will. You cannot do this to her. She isn't strong enough to deal with this on her own. She needs you in her life and she's afraid if she tells you to back off, you'll leave for good. I won't sit back and watch you play with her feelings like this." She could see she was toeing the line of his anger. She began to stand, having said what she wanted, but he stopped her with his hand.

"I do not owe you an explanation, but I will tell you this. Do not ever question my motives, especially towards Bones. I have let her down once before, and I do not intend to do so again." He stared at her for a few more seconds, and then stood. He pulled some money from his wallet and threw it down on the table and walked out the door. He couldn't believe the weekend he was having. He needed to walk to clear his head. He didn't want to get to the lab angry. He knew Bones would question what happened, and he couldn't tell her. He needed to think.


	17. Suspicion of Sorts

When he walked into the lab, he saw no signs of anyone being around. He slowed his steps and listened closely to see if he could hear anything. He saw the door to Bones' office was open and the light was on, but there was no one there. He walked in, checking to see if Bones' bag was by her desk when he heard laughing. He stayed in the office and watched his two favorite people walk up to the platform. Bones handed Parker her badge and he smiled when Parker slid it through the reader with a giant smile on his face. He stood in the doorway and leaned against the door jamb, legs crossed at the ankles and his arms crossed at his chest. He wondered if they had been to see Jack yet, and he got his answer within minutes. Jack had just walked into the lab with a messenger bag over his shoulder and a smile on his face. As soon as Parker saw him, he started to leave the platform and headed straight toward Booth.

"Hey dad! Jack just got here, so we're going to look at my bugs through the microscope! Isn't that awesome?" He gave Booth a high five and darted around him and toward his bag of jars under Bones' desk. When Booth looked up, he found he was staring straight into his partner's eyes. She had apparently followed Parker and was standing directly in front of Booth. Parker walked out and toward Hodgins' office without a glance back. Booth nodded towards the platform and Bones followed. He swiped his own card and allowed her up, quick to note that his hand was just short of approaching her back. He stopped it at the last second and stared at it momentarily when a soft voice broke him from his thoughts.

"Booth, are you alright?" She was standing on the top step with her head cocked to the side slightly. He looked up at her and snapped his hand to his side. '_Way to be obvious, Seeley.'_

"Of course, Bones! What are you working on up here?" Charm smile in place, he walked up the stairs and to the side of the table to allow her room to work.

"Some bones from Limbo. I find that I work more effectively if I approach it from the angle of it being one of our cases. Plus, it gets me up here and not stuck downstairs." She was still watching him. He was rolling his poker chip between the fingers of his right hand while his left hand was in his pocket. If it wasn't such a small space, she was sure he would be pacing. He flipped the coin up once and caught it, then put it in his pocket and turned to face her.

"Well, I'm glad to see you're not keeping yourself locked away with all those boxes down there. You need some fresh air." He leaned against the side bars and watched her work and she let him.

Booth stood to the side of her table because he knew she hated it when he came close to her evidence, new or old. He kept thinking over what Angela told him and it got him agitated. He began to pace the length of the platform, flicking his poker chip in his right hand every few steps. On one hand, Ange had a point. The touching, at least on his part, has always been a show of affection; one that had grown through the years to a possessive, intimate display. It was something he longed for in the moments after she walked away from him after that fated night. Her allowing him that small nuance always meant they would be okay. In the days that followed he was too afraid to attempt it for fear she would slap him or worse, vocally tell him it wasn't his place; he couldn't bear to find out the truth. With him being with Hannah, he really had no right touching anyone else, no matter the context. On the other hand, the norm was never the standard when it came to Bones. Their partnership was unorthodox and their subsequent relationship has always been something no one understood. He rather enjoyed that part.

She knew her focus wasn't going to end up being on the bones. Not when he got to the Jeffersonian so much later than they did and the way he was pacing. When he walked toward her, she was holding a femur and looking at it. When he walked away, she was studying him. She prided herself on her steep learning curve, and she spent the last several years learning the mannerisms of one Seeley Booth. She knew he was in thought about something, and she was pretty sure it had to do with her. She didn't think she had done anything to warrant his actions, and that was reinforced when she saw him stiffen when Ange walked into the lab. His shoulders squared and he held himself taller. She didn't see the looks between the two, but something happened after she left the diner. He began pacing with more of a purpose and she tried to calm him.

"Booth, why don't you go and sit in my office. I'm just going to catalog my findings and put these away for now." She gave him a smile and he returned one, but it was not his normal smile; at least not the one he reserved for just her. He continued pacing a moment longer and then walked off the platform and straight to her office and threw himself onto the worn leather couch. She watched him a second more than she should have and began to carefully place the bones back into their box. She took them down to Limbo, stopping in front of Hodgins' office on the way back to check on Parker. Satisfied the boy was well taken care of, she continued on to her own office. She stood in the doorway and watched her partner fidget. His left leg was tapping and he was rolling his poker chip through the fingers of his right hand again. His left hand was tapping in time with his foot and she found herself wondering what song he was playing in his head. She gave him time to realize her presence, and after a few minutes of no recognition, she spoke softly.

"What happened?" He stopped tapping, but continued to roll the poker chip. She watched him take a few breaths and then he held the poker chip tightly in his right hand. He turned in his seat and leaned against the arm of the couch and brought out his patented Booth smile. She raised her eyebrow, clearly not believing his display, but sat down.

"Nothing happened, Bones. I'm just thinking. How's Parker doing? Is he driving Hodgins crazy yet?" He couldn't tell Bones what Ange said. Any of it. He was finally starting to get them back into their routine and he didn't want them to go back to the awkwardness of before. He still had more to think about, and he would have plenty of time after he dropped Parker off.

"Parker is doing fine. He and Hodgins are oblivious to everything around them." She knew there was something going on and she knew he was avoiding talking to her about it. It worried her, but she wasn't going to stop trying. She was thinking of another way to phrase the question when she heard his phone ring. She tensed immediately, but ensured it never showed on the outside. She knew who it was likely going to be, so she simply watched him. He was tense for a minute and then visibly relaxed. She wasn't paying attention to his words, just his actions. She saw his smile and immediately relaxed herself. She liked when he smiled. He said a few more words and then hung up his phone.

"Good news?" He leaned into the corner of the couch and threw his feet on the coffee table.

"The best! Rebecca has to stay in Houston until next week, so Parker is staying at Casa de Booth until then." He clasped his hands behind his head and leaned back; eyes closed and a giant smile across his face. She turned toward him and curled her legs beneath her with a smile of her own. She propped her head up with her right arm on the back of the couch. They sat in companionable silence. Bones saw movement from inside the lab and saw Ange standing with her hands on her hips and shaking her head. As soon as Ange saw she was being watched, she retreated back to her office, but it solidified what Bones already knew; something indeed happened between Booth and Ange, and as soon as Booth left, she was going to find out. She was pulled from her thoughts when she felt a tapping on her left shoulder. She looked over and before she could say anything, Parker held his index finger to his lips. He held up three fingers, then two, then one. After his index finger joined the others, he pounced full force into Booth's lap. Booth's eyes shot open panicked, for a split second. He then began to tickle and wrestle with Parker. Bones stood and moved the coffee table to give them room and went to her desk to stay out of the fray. She knew if she remained close enough she would get brought into the fight. She reached into her desk drawer and pulled out a camera. She had started keeping one with her when they got back from their separation. She found the time she was gone quite lonely and she didn't have any pictures of Booth or Parker. She took two pictures and quickly put the camera away; she didn't want to be questioned on her motives. They continued for a few minutes more when Parker stopped suddenly.

"Dad, I'm starving. Can we go eat?" Booth was laying on his back in the middle of the room and Parker was kneeling over him. Booth jumped up with a quickness Bones wasn't sure possible, and threw Parker in the air.

"Alright, let's go eat. I've got something to tell you anyway." He set Parker on the floor and the boy took off at a sprint through the lab, stopping at the doors waiting for Booth.

"You want to come with us?" He kicked himself for the invitation. Not for asking, but for Ange's voice in his head telling him to knock it the hell off. She shook her head.

"No, I've got some paperwork to finish for my John Doe in Limbo. You boys go and have fun." She gave him a wry smile and he gave one back, along with a wink. It was like his body had a mind of its own! He narrowed his eyes, knowing there was something off, but couldn't address it; Parker was yelling for him across the lab.

"Alright, Bones. If you're sure." He gave one last smile and was pulled from her doorway by a very impatient boy.

She waited until they were completely out of sight when she stepped purposefully into Ange's office. She had a score to settle.


	18. Standoffs and Defences

She walked directly into the office and stood, waiting to be acknowledged. It didn't take long for Ange to raise her head from her computer and give a smile. Bones did not return one.

"What did you say to Booth?" For a moment Ange's eyes widened. She appeared confused until she saw the irritated look on her best friend's face.

"Nothing he didn't need to hear." She resumed looking at her computer screen, but she wasn't actually paying attention to it. She didn't expect the confrontation so quickly, but she was already in it and no sense denying what she believed.

"And what exactly was it he needed to hear?" She knew what it was, but she intended on her best friend taking responsibility. Ange took a deep breath and turned to face her friend. She knew it wasn't going to be easy to say, but the deed was done.

"Look, Sweetie-" Brennan held her hand up.

"I want everything. Do not give me your justifications, I just want the words. I will decide for myself if I want them justified." Ange raised her eyebrow and leaned back a little; not expecting the out lash, but understanding it.

"Bren, Booth has been your longest relationship with a man. Do not even begin to tell me you're not in one because you are. The two of you have been with each other through more than three lifetimes worth of stuff and I understand the attachment he has to you, and you to him. But Sweetie, watching you watch him be with Hannah is heart crushing for everyone. It was one thing when he was avoiding you when we all came back, but now he's acting like everything is back the way it was before. As much as _**I**_ would love that to be the case, it just can't be. Not when he and Hannah are living together and are on the verge of getting married. He cannot have it both ways. Him bringing Parker around and guiding you through the lab with his hand on your back; it's just not right. It's not fair to you and it's not fair to Hannah or Parker. Booth needs a kick in the right direction and I was more than happy to have done the job." Ange wished right then that she could read minds. Brennan was standing stock still and her expression never changed. Ange was sure her best friend didn't even blink.

"What goes on with Booth and I is none of your concern. I appreciate what you were trying to accomplish, but it is completely unnecessary." She stared at Ange for a full minute and then walked out the door. She kept walking until she was out of the Jeffersonian completely. She wandered down the all too familiar streets and only looked up when she found she was outside the diner. She knew she would end up there, but was caught off guard by the actual sight of it. Her first reaction was to run to Booth, but she knew it was impossible. He would never understand her need for him to be in her life and she wasn't about to lose what she had been gaining lately. She stood near a light fixture on the street and watched Booth and Parker talking quite animatedly and smiling. She knew they were going back to the lab after lunch, but she wasn't so sure she would make it in time to see them. They both stood at once and made their way to the door. Bones ducked into an alley and waited for them to get into the SUV and head toward the lab.

Bones continued on walking around the garden of the Jeffersonian in deep thought. She was confused by her friend's antics. Not too long ago, Ange was telling her to just be patient and bide her time; that Booth did that exact thing when she was with Sully. Now here she was telling Booth to back off and to stop basically being Booth. She sat at a bench surrounded by lilacs and daffodils and did her best to think about things other than Booth and Hannah. A chill ran down her back when she felt a tapping on her shoulder.

"Penny for your thoughts, Bones?" He held out a clipped daffodil and when she didn't immediately take it, he placed it behind her ear. She fought the urge to close her eyes and enjoy the gesture and ended up giving him a small smile. They watched each other for a full minute until he sat down next to her. They both faced the gardens and sat in silence until she spoke.

"I want to apologize for Angela and her meddling. I know that it should be her apologizing, but she was doing it for my benefit." She kept staring out into the gardens, not wanting to look into his eyes. He tried calling her name, but she refused to budge. He knelt in front of her and hooked his finger under her chin and forced her eyes up.

"Bones, there is no need to worry about Angela or anyone else for that matter, okay? I heard what she had to say, but I know you enough to know that if you had a problem with me, you would tell me yourself. Since that has yet to happen, I figure we are doing just fine, right?" He held his hand under her chin the length of the conversation. He only moved it when she nodded her head. She closed her eyes the moment the touch broke and immediately wished it back. She opened them the next second to not let him see her struggle.

"Where's Parker?" She needed a distraction and was grasping at anything to make one.

"He's back with Hodgins and the pond slime that was in the jars with the critters." He wanted to desperately know what she was actually thinking, but told himself to back off in the hopes she would come forward with the information on her own. She sighed in relief that Parker was not with her best friend. She wouldn't put it past Angela to use Parker against the situation and she didn't want the boy caught in the middle any more than he already was. He waited for her to begin talking, and when she didn't, he pulled straight from her thoughts.

"Listen Bones, I'm not going anywhere okay? No matter what, I am here for you. I made that mistake once and I will never do it again. If you're worried about something, especially if it is between us, you know that you can come to me, right?" He turned to face her to ensure she knew the seriousness of his statement. She turned her head to listen, but couldn't bring herself to look him in the eyes. She wasn't sure how he knew what she was thinking, and she didn't want him to see he hit the mark.

He wanted to pace in front of her so she could see he was agitated with her not bringing anything forward, but made a vow that he would be patient with her. He knew she would keep things bottled up and he knew eventually he would be the outlet when she was fed up holding everything in. He instead stood and offered her his hand. He waited the few minutes it took for her to grasp it and he lifted her from the bench, slightly guiding her back toward the lab. The sun was starting to set and with it brought a chill to the air. As they walked, he became conscious of his hand on her back and tried to remove it. There was an internal struggle of whether he should or not and not won out. He figured it would be weird if he were just to slam his hand to his side, so he resumed what he was doing. Wrong or not, he didn't feel the slightest bit guilty. The only thing that weighed on his mind was the talk he was going to have with Hannah, and if they could have it since he was keeping Parker for the week.


	19. Understanding

He sat at the small table set up in the kitchen and he waited patiently. It seemed that every woman in his life was going to test his patience and he figured he might as well give equally. He was fortunate not to have to wait long. He heard the keys rattling in the lock and then the door opened. He watched Hannah take in the surroundings and he tried to not react to her obvious sigh in what he assumed was relief. He let her take her bags to the bedroom as he nursed the beer he had taken out when he got home. She sat across from him and was apparently waiting for him to start speaking because she leaned in the chair to get comfortable and looked pointedly at him with her eyebrow slightly raised. He figured he was patient this far, he could let her voice her opinion of what was weighing on her mind first. She did not disappoint.

"Parker get to Rebecca's okay?" He wanted to slam his hand on the table in frustration, but held back. He needed his senses to see her reaction to his statement.

"Nope, he's at the lab. Rebecca has to stay in Houston for the week, so I get to keep him with me." He saw the light in her eyes dim a bit, but he gave her credit for not looking utterly defeated at the notion.

"Well, that's good. I can only imagine how he feels being shuffled around and having his schedule come apart." She desperately wanted a beer, but she didn't want to show signs of fidgeting; and having a beer would make her peel the label, and he would have her pegged.

"Well, since Parker is at the lab, I figured we should talk. I do not like yelling, especially in front of my son. If you have a problem with Bones, or with our relationship I suggest you say something now." His voice was even, though his nerves were on edge. He kept the bottle in his right hand and his left was tapping on the pair of dice he kept in his left pocket. She narrowed her eyes for a moment, seeming to get her thoughts straight.

"I understand your relationship only as much as you'll let me. The little bit I get on my own makes sense. I keep better company with the opposite sex as well, so I certainly cannot fault you for that. There are just times that I feel like I am intruding on something that I'm not supposed to know anything about. That is mostly with Parker, though. He adores Temperance with such fervor that it seems to be a fruitless endeavor to compete. I noticed he was into dinosaurs and I got him one, but he simply dismissed it. Oh, not directly to my face, but I saw the look on his. I also noticed he placed it elsewhere in his room than with his others." She felt she let some of her angst go and let him absorb her side of things.

"You cannot buy Parker's affection. Bones has been giving him those dinosaurs for years, and it was never as a bribe. I've told her to cut it out, but she does what she pleases with him. Dinosaurs were something they bonded over from the lab, so I would think he took your gesture as more of an insult than a thoughtful gift." He wanted to laugh as he watched the questions cross her face. "I know what you're thinking, and I can't explain it other than he has turned full squint. He could be like other boys and want to play sports and get into trouble, but the kid lives for the lab. He is comfortable there and with the squints. He looks up to them, all of them. He is pretty possessive of the squints and the lab is all I'm trying to say. I appreciate the gesture, even if he didn't really." He tried to stop being angry and found the more he spoke, the less anger he actually felt. Even though he was talking through things with Hannah, his thought momentarily went to Bones and he was completely grateful she was watching Parker for a few hours. Hannah smiled at him.

"I guess I never understood that part before; that dinosaurs were their thing. It makes a lot of sense now. I suppose I shouldn't assume until I know everything. Still, I would like to be invited when you guys go out. I don't even mind if Temperance comes along with us, so long as I'm included. We won't be much of a family if we are always doing things separately. Also, I should apologize for insinuating you and Temperance were doing something untoward. That wasn't very fair of me. I was angry and I should've talked it though instead of jumping to conclusions. Not a very good reporter, am I?" She grinned sheepishly. If this would have been a case she was working on she would have been fired three ways from Sunday. He finally released his now warm beer bottle and reached across the table for her hand. She hesitated for a second, but then placed it into his. He started to rub his thumb across her knuckles, but something made him stop. He couldn't figure out what it was until he felt a tingle on his right thigh. It was his phone. He released Hannah's hand and grabbed his phone out of his pocket. Thoughts immediately on the negative, he opened his phone and found a message waiting. He opened it as quickly as it let him and when he saw the message, he lowered his shoulders in relief and smiled his genuine Booth smile.

"I take it everything is okay?" She had watched him fumble over his phone with amusement. She didn't think anyone at the lab would let any harm come to Parker and she squelched down the jealousy that threatened to appear. Part of her wished she could have the kind of connection everyone at the lab seemed to with Parker. Another part of her was glad she didn't have it. She wondered which of her conflicting personalities would win out.

"Yeah, everything is great. Bones just sent a picture of Parker and Hodgins. They apparently got Parker his very own Jeffersonian lab coat." He held his phone out to show her the picture. Parker was standing on a crate next to Hodgins, both were wearing identical grins, goggles and lab coats. She tried again to curb the jealousy but figured it would never go away, at least not entirely. There was something special with those lab people and the Booth boys that she would never get to be a part of, no matter how hard she tried. She shrugged inwardly, figuring it best to have Booth in her life in any capacity rather than not at all. If only she knew how similar her thoughts were to Bones'.


	20. Wandering Thoughts

**Thank you everyone for the reviews! Some of you are quite furious with our Booth, and I don't blame you! He's being a right pain, isn't he? Most of this is already written, it's just taking time to edit. Some of you are on the right track with your thoughts, though! Keep reading and reviewing!**

As ragged as Booth was, he wouldn't have it any other way. His case load was completely full, he was struggling to keep current on paperwork, he was desperately trying to reign in the squint squad to keep them focused on the current case and to top it off, he was running late picking up Parker from school. He called to make sure they told Parker he was on his way, but Mrs. Samson assured him it was no trouble and it happened all the time. Booth hung up the phone with a small smile played at his lips.

"I take it they told Parker you were on your way?" Bones was in the passenger seat changing the radio station every time Booth did. It was a game they kept playing, and he wasn't going to let her win. He pressed more buttons on the steering wheel and the volume was raising and lowering, competing with her talking.

"Yes, and apparently this happens all the time. So now I have an ace in the hole when Rebecca wants to one-up me about my schedule." His grin grew wider as Bones went to speak then stopped when she saw his fingers tapping just above the volume control on the steering wheel. She narrowed her eyes, but waited patiently for his phase to give out. She began to run her fingers over her phone while eying him. She then sat obviously still and looked out the window. He felt bad.

"Alright, alright, I'm sorry Bones! I'll stop, I promise!" He kept his eyes on the road, but looked over at her every few seconds. When she refused to look at him, he started again.

"Bones, come on-" She held her finger in the air and picked up her phone and began talking. He left her alone until he picked up some of her conversation.

"Oh, real funny, Bones. Having Hodgins call you so you can ignore with me. Real clever. Come on I said I was sorry. Cut it out!" She cracked a smile and hung up the phone.

"Are you ready to have an adult conversation now, or should I place you in the backseat with Parker when we get him?" She raised one eyebrow and Booth felt his heart lighten. He then yelled at himself internally for allowing himself to react that way, though never losing his smile.

"I said I was sorry, didn't I?" He tried the charm smile, but she just shook her head. She turned back to watching the streets go by but he caught her small grin in the reflection. They pulled up to the school and Parker was playing with a soccer ball in the small front yard. Mrs. Samson waved and then said something to Parker. The boy raised his eyes mid kick and ran for his bag, grabbed his ball from where it landed, and waved to his teacher. He jumped in the backseat and began telling them about his day.

They arrived at the Jeffersonian with smiles on. The three got out of the truck and headed in when Booth's phone rang. Booth paced in front of the main doors while Parker ran ahead with Bones. She took a look back and he rolled his eyes. It was Cullen. He nodded a few times and rolled his eyes some more and then pocketed his phone. He caught up to them in Bones' office, Parker with his books out across the coffee table working on his homework.

"Well, I guess I'll just let Parker stay with you during the school year so he actually gets his homework done without complaint." He gave Bones a wink and then narrowed his eyes at Parker playfully. He shielded the feelings of regret that he didn't have such power. He was lucky he got his own son for a weekend let alone an entire school year. Parker smiled on as Bones walked over and touched Booth's arm. She knew he was thinking about the lack of time he had Parker.

"Everything okay with Cullen?" She needed to distract him. He was still looking at Parker, but he nodded.

"Yeah, he's just trying to figure out if we have any new leads. I told him we needed to talk to the brother one more time, but we can't find him. Do you mind if I get some air?" She tilted her head to the side and bit her lip. She wanted desperately to go with him, but she knew she needed to back off and give him space.

"Sure. Parks is fine here, doing homework. If he finishes that before you get back, I can find him something to do with Hodgins or something. Go on." He gave her a genuine smile and a wink and walked over to Parker.

"Hey bub, I'm gonna head out for a bit. You gonna be okay here?" Parker never lifted his head from his books.

"Of course, dad! I've got loads of homework, but it shouldn't take me too long. Maybe then I can finish with Jack and the bugs I brought the other day!" He looked up then with a wide smile on his face. Booth relished in the look on his son's face and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Alright buddy. Behave yourself! Bones, I'll be back." And with that, he walked out the door and into his truck. Before he could even put his keys in the ignition, he got back out and walked around the mall. He didn't know what he was doing anymore. He felt like he was stretching himself into a million different directions and he wasn't sure which one was the right one.

The talk with Hannah a few nights ago had gone remarkably well. She had even had a conversation with Parker unprompted by him that same night. Parker had appeared to be a little put out by it, but he was making an effort. Cullen was giving him more freedom on cases; though the man would still pull him back when need be. Rebecca was more trusting with leaving Parker with him. She didn't even seem to hesitate leaving the boy with him while she was in Houston. Normally she would have suggested taking him to her mother's, but she had simply told him she had to stay for another week and that she should be back the following Sunday.

He had walked a full circuit and a half. He found himself standing before the reflecting pool. The place that was so completely his and Bones' that it warmed his heart immediately. So many memories at this place that he was overwhelmed. He didn't deserve her, that much was true. From day one he knew there was something special about her and he swore he wouldn't quit until he knew what it was. He still had no clue, but he loved every minute of figuring her out. She surprised him daily and he loved being kept on his toes. A part of him knew that he should probably give up his friendship, if not his partnership, with Bones in order to see this potential marriage with Hannah through. He made sure to bury that part of him deep, deep down. Perhaps if he had not explained to Hannah his friendship with Bones, then he could understand the need for such extreme measures. As it was, he told Hannah the truth. There was no force, save anything to do with Parker, that could keep him and Bones separate. That much was proven when he went to Afghanistan and she went to the Maluku Islands. It was supposed to be a full year they were to be gone, and they came back early. No, here was where he belonged. With his son and his squints and Hannah.

The idea of marriage had always appealed to him. Growing up was something of a challenge and his whole life he vowed to have a life opposite of that one. When Parker came into the picture, he all but demanded Rebecca marry him. Looking back on it now, he could see how crazed he came off, but he wanted his son to have a structured and settled home; not like what he had. He was always the one that fell too hard, too fast and ended up speeding up the relationship to the point of failure. When he was with someone, it was always only about them. He cringed in thinking about the first months he spent with Hannah, and really even now. When he was first with Hannah, it was about Bones; more importantly about forgetting her. Then the more he tried to forget her, the more he found that it was all his fault for not giving her time; time to think, time to act, time to adjust. Hannah was good for a distraction, but it was still all about Bones. He grew into his love for Hannah, but it wasn't a love like he thought he would be in when it came to a wedding. He always assumed it would be easy to be married, but he knew marrying Hannah would be anything but easy. He supposed that was part of the excitement and appeal.

He went back to the Jeffersonian at a much slower pace, his thoughts bogging down his willingness to work. He had to straighten his appearance or he'd be getting questions and looks. He strolled through the garden leisurely, willing his face into a sense of normalcy. He sat down on a bench and pulled a flower, twisting it between his fingers. He leaned back and crossed his feet at the ankles and took a deep breath. He sat for a few minutes alone when a cup of coffee and a wayward hand presented itself in front of his face. He followed the arm with his eyes and saw Angela standing off to the side. He watched her for a second and then took the olive branch.

"It's not poison, is it?" He opened the lid and sniffed it, giving her a questioning look, and then put the lid back on and took a sip.

"Bren would kill me, so no." She took a seat next to him.

"How did you find me?" He looked around to see if there was anyone else around, but saw no one.

"Don't flatter yourself; I wasn't looking for you, exactly. I was out for a walk and noticed you moping. Why are you moping, anyway?" She crossed her arms over her chest and searched his eyes, daring him to lie.

"I don't want to fight with you, Ange. You made your opinion known, so just let it be." He was too emotionally worn to deal with her, or anyone. It was why he went for a walk. She took a deep breath.

"I didn't come here to fight. I was always rooting for you and Brennan you know, but I can't sit back and watch you destroy her." He closed his eyes and counted to ten and then back down to one.

"The last thing I would ever do is hurt her. Again." He sounded defeated and he knew it.

"I know you would never hurt her intentionally. I've watched you two save each other over and over. My loyalty is always first to Bren, and even though she's ripped me a new one over interfering, I'll take it so long as she comes from this unharmed."

"Ange, listen. I heard what you had to say, and I can see where you are coming from. But for you to expect me to walk out of Bones' life simply because I am marrying Hannah is unreasonable and completely absurd."

"Not walk out, just back off some. Things aren't like they were before, Booth. She now understands what she couldn't all those years ago. Hell even just three months ago. She knows she loves you and so long as you continue to hang around, you're giving her hope that you can be together." He'd had enough. He got to his feet and looked down to her.

"I respect what you're doing, protecting Bones. But in this, you are completely in the wrong. My relationship with Bones is between her and I. Hannah knows everything, Bones knows everything. There's nothing you can say that will convince me to turn my back on her." With that, he turned and walked back to the Jeffersonian, ensuring his facial features were set in something of the content sort. He walked through the lab and gathered Parker's things, wanting and needing to get out of there as soon as possible. He found Parker in with Hodgins and gathered him up as well.

"Come on, bub. We need to head out. I've got to drop by the office and then we're going to make dinner." Parker helped Hodgins clean up and then obediently bounded after Booth. He called out to Bones on the platform that he was leaving and she took off her gloves and met him at the bottom of the stairs.

"Everything go okay?" She was worried, and she could see past his mask that something was wrong.

"Yeah, I've just got to pick up some paperwork from the office. Tomorrow is going to be a long day of we can't find Sawyer's brother. I'll catch you tomorrow okay?" He tried his patented smile, but knew she could see right through it. Parker waved his own goodbye and walked behind Booth soundlessly. Neither spoke until they left the Hoover.

"Dad, did something happen today?" Booth winced inwardly. Damn the perceptive boy!

"I'm alright, Parks. Just have a lot on my mind. Nothing a bit of famous Seeley Booth pizza can't fix, eh?" Parker's eyes lit up.

"Can I make the sauce this time? And throw the dough in the air?" Booth smiled a genuine smile and turned the SUV in the direction of their favorite deli to get the required items. When Hannah came home, both of them were covered in flour and there was pizza sauce on the ceiling. They both gave identical shrugs at the same time and continued on in their task. She saw something off in Booth, and vowed to get to the bottom of it when Parker went to bed.


	21. The Art of Awkwardness

**Yikes! I appreciate everyone's reviews! Although now I know how all those people feel that get chased out of town by the townsfolk with pitchforks! Lol. I know Booth is being a less than stellar version of himself. I honestly feel that, had HH not got rid of her when he did (she shouldn't have existed at all IMO), that we would have seen Booth get on the right track at the same time as being with Hannah. I appreciate you guys sticking with me, even though we are all angry with Booth and his naughty behavior. I was going to end this quite soon, but I've gotten a few ideas from some of you, so it's going to go for just a little longer than planned. Well, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it! It explains the way I see things going in my head, so maybe it'll make things a little clearer? I dunno. Anyway, read on!**

It was a week and a half later that the fates aligned for Hannah to do the thing she had been waiting so long for. The day she came home to the Booth boys making pizza had been a tense affair. The three ate and laughed and everything felt right, save the elephant in the room. She knew Booth was hiding something, and she played along and waited until Parker was reading in his room. She poured Booth a glass of scotch and sat on the couch across from him. She had demanded he explain everything, and though he fought her on the issue, he conceded and let loose the anxiety that was building at Ange's harsh, but true, words. Hannah had nodded in all the right places and gave him the space he so obviously needed. She thought on the words everyday for ten days. On that tenth day, she got a phone call from Booth stating that Ange would have to meet her earlier than planned for them to narrow down wedding ideas. Hannah smiled and told Booth it wasn't a problem and hung up. She promptly rearranged her schedule to have the rest of the day off, called two of her sources to postpone their meeting and went to the diner to await her prey. Ange arrived five minutes early. Hannah could hardly contain her excitement.

"I'm so sorry we had to move this up. We just got a new shipment of artifacts in at the Jeffersonian and I am elbow deep in reconstructions." She ordered a cup of coffee and brought out her laptop. Hannah seized the opportunity while the laptop booted up.

"We really do appreciate your help with the wedding, you know that, right?" Angela nodded as she typed in her password.

"It's no trouble, really. I do love weddings, and I have a knack for decorating on a budget. I did go to art school!" She smiled at Hannah, and Hannah let the air take on familiarity. She was in the process of a confrontation after all.

"Before we get started, I'd like to straighten some things out. I would like for you to back off of Seeley." She let her words hang and watched as Angela's face turned from an open, listening posture to a closed off, guarded scowl.

"What are you talking about?" She wanted to know how much Hannah actually knew.

"I'm talking about you making him feel guilty for his relationship with Temperance. I do appreciate your intervention somewhat, misguided as it is. I can understand where you're coming from. From a certain perspective, it looks like he's playing me, or her, or both of us. Seeley is not that kind of man. He would never do anything if he thought he was betraying me. Or Temperance. I may not know everything about him or them, but I know enough." Angela was itching to jump in, and Hannah could see that. She stopped talking to let the woman get her thoughts out.

"I don't think you _do_ know enough." Ange wanted to think her words through carefully. Her first instinct was to tell Barbie she was completely wrong and that if she knew what was good for her, she'd high tail it right back to Afghanistan where she came from. Or at least New York. Somewhere that wasn't D.C.

"Booth is not a man that lets go of things easily. He will fight until there is nothing left to fight for, and then he will still continue to fight for it. The thing between him and Brennan, nothing can stop it. They are drawn to each other, no matter the circumstances. My main concern is that she does not get hurt while he figures out what he's doing." Hannah narrowed her eyes.

"What he's doing is marrying me. If you continue to push him, he's going to end up making a decision I think none of us will enjoy." She wasn't confident enough to say that he would choose her over Temperance. She didn't want Angela to see that she had any doubts about where she, herself, stood with him. Her voice never wavered and she knew her posture showed strength, but she wasn't about to say what she thought from the moment she met the man all those months ago.

Angela sat still and took in Hannah's words. She was sure she understood the underlying factor in what she spoke, but she decided to take the high road and not address it. She nodded her head as she came to her decision.

"I understand what you're saying. I can respect your wishes so long as you know what you're getting yourself into. I suppose it is high time that I stop shoving my nose in everyone's business. Do you still want to talk wedding plans or is this not going to work anymore?" Part of Angela wanted to walk out after dumping her hot cup of coffee into Hannah's lap. The more sensible part of her decided she would be tactful and pleasant. Sometimes she hated that sensible side.

"I think we can still work this out, but I should probably get to the office. I'm assuming there's nothing left to be said about Seeley?" Angela nodded.

"We are completely clear on that point. Will next week sometime work for decorations and cake sampling?"

"I'll check my calendar, but I'm sure I can switch some things around. And really, Angela, thank you for trying to help. I do appreciate it, honestly." Hannah gave Angela one last smile and grabbed her bag and walked out. Angela sat for a few minutes, wondering what in the hell just happened. She walked back to the Jeffersonian in bewilderment. She went straight into her office and sat at her desk and stared through her screen. She didn't notice she was followed until a paper ball hit her in the head. Angela shook her head, picked up the ball, and was ready to chuck it back – full force – until she saw it was her best friend.

"I've been calling your name since you walked into the building. What's wrong?" Angela was torn. The two hadn't shared a word between them that wasn't about work for over a week. She wanted to vent that Army Barbie had one-upped her, but then that would mean admitting to meddling again. And Bren was adamant that Angela wasn't to meddle. She bit the bullet and went with it.

"I just met with Hannah about the wedding, but everything took a strange turn." She waited to see if Brennan was going to say anything, or ask a question; she received a quirked eyebrow so she kept on.

"She confronted me about talking to Booth." Angela stopped talking because her best friend was failing at hiding her laughter. The woman was actually laughing out loud.

"I warned you to leave it alone, did I not? I am happy for Booth, Ange. I really am. If Hannah makes him happy, then I am happy. I am not delusional enough to think that we are going to end up together. I just want him to remain in my life. Those months in the Maluku Islands without him, I just could not take it. I was miserable. So many times I wanted to pick up the phone and just tell him about my day, just hear his voice and I couldn't. Call it being desperate, call it pining, call it what you will. It does not matter to me. I know that he and Hannah are together and I know that they are getting married. It hurts, sure; but not enough to walk away from him." At some point, Brennan had walked over and sat in front of Ange. Ange was shocked to see the strength in her best friend's eyes, but she accepted it. She took Brennan's hands in her own.

"Sweetie, I would do anything in this world for. If you really are okay with this, then I really have no choice but to back off, do I? I just worry about you. We need to find you a man! How about we hit the club Friday after work, huh? Like old times?" Ange winked and Brennan shook her head and walked out of the office. Booth's attitude as of the last few days was now explained. She couldn't help but feel a slight pang of betrayal at his lack of confiding, but she understood why it had to be that way. He was always one to protect those that he loved and she smiled to herself that she was still in that category. She didn't want to outright dismiss Ange's ideas of needing to find someone, but she knew no one would compare to Booth, and as long as he was still the bar everything needed to raise to, she would be content to live her life the way she had for the last nineteen years. Things were better now than they have ever been. She had Russ back in her life, she had her work, her book and she had real people that she could actually count on.

She stepped into her office to find a small box sitting on her desk. She looked around, wondering if Booth had stopped by at some point, but didn't see Parker's bag or anything that would give Booth away. She went back to her desk and picked it up, noticing it was sitting on top of a once folded piece of paper. She read through the note and, though she was shocked and slightly disappointed by the person it was from, it put a small smile on her face nonetheless.

_Temperance-_

_ I am truly sorry that my presence has turned everything on its head. I hope that by my interference that everything can get back into some semblance of normal. There are no hard feelings on my end about your relationship with Seeley, and though I am jealous from time to time, I understand the need for him in your life. We have a special man, Temperance, and I would never wish for me to come in the way of the two of you. I am aware it is unconventional, but so long as we all understand where we belong I know this can work. I hope this gift comes off as more of a meaningful gesture and less of an overstep in boundaries. I would like to go out for drinks this weekend, but I understand if it would be awkward for you. _

_Hannah_

"Well, lucky for you, I have perfected the art of awkward." Bones laughed out loud and slowly opened the well wrapped box. Inside was an ivory letter opener. It wasn't anything special, but she placed it on her desk anyway. She didn't want Booth to come by and it not be there. Still, it was a nice enough gesture. She folded the paper back up, placed it in her top drawer and threw the box away.


End file.
